tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56340970993559744992023-11-16T05:49:55.606-05:00Just EmmaFrom the view point of a teenage student, writer, Storm Wizard, Swashbuckler pirate, video game addict, and music lover. As she explores the features on her blog, she is only writing this paragraph so she can speak in third person. Please read on and enjoy!Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-87076501804501117122015-04-16T13:19:00.001-04:002015-04-16T13:19:04.236-04:00Update & Anime CaféGood day everyone! Two things:<br />
<br />
ONE! You might have noticed I'm not posting a lot and there is a reason for that: I'm mostly writing. Writing <i>a lot</i>, actually. As I said, the reading project probably wont start until summer, because right now I have very little time.<br />
<br />
TWO! Speaking of writing, I recently had an genius idea: a mashup AU fanfiction.<br />
<br />
:D<br />
<br />
You heard me right: let's combine <i>all the anime</i> so the characters can interact in hilarious scenarios for a purely comedic fanfiction. Each chapter takes place over the course of a day in the life of Shion, a 19 year-old who decided that, rather than going to college, he would open a coffee shop. As you can guess, this shop is frequented by some, shall we say, <i>unique</i> individuals.<br />
<br />
The good thing about this is that you <i>don't need to have watched the anime</i>, because most of the character's are written into the AU as it is (ex: college students, public workers, etc). Only a couple retain their powers from their respective anime, and in general I'll make few inside-references to these powers.<br />
<br />
This wonderful gift to fanfiction-kind is called <u>Anime Café</u>.<br />
<br />
(Okay, that's probably an unoriginal title, but I had nothing else at the time and it kinda stuck so, hey, whatever.)<br />
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And in case you're wondering: YES, this will be included in the reading project.<br />
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<br />
ANOTHER THING: I'm going to start posting raw chapters of the Tokyo Ghoul fanfiction/rp I'm doing with a friend. Please note that this will be, if you read it, one of the hardest things to read because it's written in an rp style rather than a novel style. However, the characters are really unique and intriguing and some of the scenes are hilarious and I want to share them with you.<br />
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<br />
And since comments still aren't working for me: <b>MissingLlama:</b> Aww thank you!! I'm glad my voice doesn't sound bad or anything, cause if that was the case this project just wouldn't work at all XD And also: I'm glad to be back too, even if it's sporadic ^_^<br />
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Speaking of my voice, this video was for my AP English poem project. I spent, probably, a good 16 hours working on this and now I'm ready to show it to others, so here ya go!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yR_vLxXO8Cg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yR_vLxXO8Cg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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*crosses fingers that this works*</div>
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Just another taste of my voice, hopefully also showing some more voice inflection examples. This was one of the lucky voice-recordings that I did in one try (it's true!). I also recently did a project for astronomy class which I'll probably show off next for some more examples of how my voice works (unfortunately the audio on that is mediocre).<br />
<br />
Alright, I think that's all! Vacation is coming up for me soon and I'll be traveling, so while that means I won't be able to do any practice for the reading project, I <i>will </i>have tons of time to write and edit :)<br />
<br />
One last note: Check out the Fan-Fiction page for updates/synopsis' for <u>Anime Café</u> and <u>London Ghouls</u>.<br />
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That's all and I hope you all have a wonderful day!<br />
<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-23583777919307670832015-03-22T15:55:00.000-04:002015-03-22T15:55:54.592-04:00Live!Welcome everyone to the new blog that will focus on fanfiction written by yours truly :)<br />
<br />
Of course, I might still mess around with a couple things, but hey, for now, this is what you've got!<br />
<br />
WHAT TO POINT OUT:<br />
<ul>
<li>I rewrote the 'about me' page because, well, it kinda needed updating.</li>
<li>I've also rewritten the 'fanfiction' page to have all of the main projects that you should know about. When a new one goes up there I'll be sure to tell you :)</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now I'm sure some of you may be wondering, "Why doesn't she just get a fanfiction.net account and post her stuff there?"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good question! And here's my answer:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Mostly because I'm not one to just post my writing, I have to ramble and update and spit nonsense too. I've also got the reading project to do, so I need a central place to post those videos. So in a nutshell: I needed a blog. I had one, so I redecorated it and voila, here it is now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Speaking of the reading project, I've been messing with garage band and here's what came of my first attempt. <b>This is nothing official and will be redone</b>, consider it my practice and a taste of what's to come for you. If you think it's bad: GOOD. It is. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylzElf5qZRNBimlCWxG6cmsXZJILPFnc3GyonU8_UzeTN7riq1d7_-YQj-cofS7pyOv2RImHSEYiSJvBrijw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
*crosses fingers that this actually works*</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another note: for some reason blogger isn't letting me post comments which is really bothering me -_- So in reply to ElizabethGT: YES, I am keeping the old posts. Why? No particular reason. Or maybe I'm just too lazy to remove them. Doesn't matter! ^_^</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Okay, so I think that's all for this announcement.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As always, I'm super happy when anyone reads this, and I hope everyone has a great day!</div>
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<br /></div>
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~Emma</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-60110942880454764702015-03-16T20:24:00.001-04:002015-03-16T20:24:21.040-04:00RebootHeyyyy guysss.<br />
<br />
So this is going to be very straight and to the point: this blog is going under a reboot.<br />
<br />
*gasp*<br />
<br />
Oh come on, it's not THAT surprising.<br />
<br />
Firstly, I hardly have any time to play games because I'm busy being anime trash.<br />
<br />
(Secondly) BUT, I still have fanfiction to write and post and for people to read.<br />
<br />
(Thirdly) SO, this blog is going to reboot and become completely a write-blog for fanfiction.<br />
<br />
Cool, right?<br />
<br />
I think so at least.<br />
<br />
I'll probably have my occasional life rambles, too, and writing-updates, and then there's the dramatic reading project I'm going to start this coming summer, and maybe even some audio-tracks of me and my friends playing Dokapon (it tears apart friendships, but at the end of it you're all a lot closer, trust me). (There's also Dokapon fanfiction, yay!)<br />
<br />
CONTINUING, yes, reboot, writing, fanfiction, etc. etc.<br />
<br />
Just letting you know.<br />
Or something.<br />
Like...<br />
...who even reads this?<br />
<br />
*ahem*<br />
<br />
What you should know is that my name will continue to be Emma. In fact, I think I'll always be Emma. I honestly -- when I go on tangents in real life -- refer to myself as Emma. It's not even a "mask" or "face" for me, I literally am Emma just as much as I am the name on my birth certificate. To be honest I like that :)<br />
<br />
That's all you need to know for now: expect a reboot soon and then a lot of posts.<br />
(Probably by friday.)<br />
<br />
Lots.<br />
<br />
Tons.<br />
<br />
:D<br />
<br />
<br />
Laterz!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-39843686174457991272014-12-04T13:35:00.002-05:002014-12-08T09:28:32.953-05:00All EditedSo I have edited ALL of <u>Shadow Rising</u> and it has been updated.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some important changes to note:<br />
+ Chapter Five was split into two chapters, they are now:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chapter Five - detonate</li>
<li>Chapter Six - the dragon's heart</li>
</ul>
<div>
+ Concerning the Legend Monsters, their original "titles" -- such as <i>the</i> Nightmare or <i>the</i> Stone Angel -- are now they're actual names. (Eg. it's now just Nightmare and Stone Angel.)<br />
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+ I added a lot more detail and mini paragraphs reinforcing Suri's personality. I don't expect you guys to reread the whole thing, so I'm just letting you know XD<br />
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<br />
In other news, this will be the first fanfic that I will be "dramatically" reading aloud :) I'm really looking forward to it. I'll also, on special occasion, have guest speakers who will help voice characters (for fun).<br />
<br />
That's all!<br />
<br />
~Emma</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-8435194390147842732014-11-30T15:51:00.000-05:002014-12-01T23:51:04.701-05:00ANNOUNCEMENT AND QUESTIONHello everyone! Long time so see :D I told you I wasn't "gone," only on hiatus! Well... to be honest I'm still hiatus-ing, but that's not what I'm here to say.<br />
<br />
Basically, after having a long conversation about MineCraft and youtube with my cousin over Thanksgiving dinner, I came to several conclusions.<br />
<ol>
<li>I'm not the only one in my family without a life</li>
<li>Hey, I can post things on youtube</li>
<li>I've started some awesome fanfiction</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br />
SO, this brings me to the important announcement:</div>
<div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: cyan;">
I am planning on reading aloud my fanfiction and posting it to youtube.</span></h2>
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AND this brings me to the important question:</div>
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<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;">
Would any of you <strike>losers</strike> awesome people listen to it?</span></h2>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Okay, a little bit about why I made this decision...<br />
<br />
So obviously I've been posting my W101 fanfiction on this blog for quite some time. It was met very positively and through it met I some really awesome people ^_^ When Pirate101 was released I started a fanfiction but it never really sailed with me. (Sailed... hah... pirates... get it... *ahem*) I've been mulling it over recently and will probably continue it, but I'll have to see how life treats me in the meantime.<br />
<br />
However, with my... er... rather... <i>head-first</i> dive into anime (have I told you all that I'm anime trash? Well, now you know) (I've watched it, but now I'm watching whole seasons in a day) I started reading some fanfiction that was much different than how I had originally correlated fanfiction. Naturally, I wanted to write some of my own.<br />
<br />
Basically, the fanfiction that I would post would span a number of things. The two big projects would be my W101 fanfiction <u>Shadow Rising</u> (and it's sequels) and my World of Warcraft fanfiction <u>Breaching Death</u>. Alongside those two would be several anime one-shots, a Pirate101 one-shot (which is all I'm granting myself to handle right now), and maybe some other video game one-shots.<br />
<br />
<br />
After all that, the question still stands: would you guys listen to it?<br />
<br />
(Don't worry about the "losers" part, I'm a loser too, it's a term of affection when coming from me.)<br />
<br />
<br />
ALSO, in case any of you are wondering about NaNoWriMo, I wasn't able to make it past 19k because of school. Let's just say that everything happened in November (again). Let's hope for next year, though. CONGRATULATIONS TO ANYONE WHO WON THIS YEAR AND ANYONE ELSE WHO TRIED AND MAYBE DIDN'T SUCCEED. YOU'RE ALL SUPER AWESOME AND I'M PROUD OF YOU!!<br />
<br />
~Emma<br />
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<br />
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P.S.<br />
Okay, I literally went over this post ten times and now I'm doing it again and still finding mistakes. I think it might be a bit of a medical condition, actually. I'm really sorry for typos that I miss ;-;</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-14949791012997726352014-05-01T17:52:00.000-04:002014-05-01T17:52:17.858-04:00Just Clearing Up A Possible MisunderstandingI hope this isn't awkward, but here's the truth: I think I'm going to be going on hiatus.<br />
<br />
(See that? It's called not beating around the bush.)<br />
<br />
Basically, my non-existent blogging schedule is even more non-existent than usual.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
BECAUSE LIFE.<br />
<br />
So basically rather than posting once a month and then vanishing, I'll tell you now: I'm going on hiatus. (But it's mostly so I don't feel guilty every time I get on a computer and do something that does not involve planning a blog post).<br />
<br />
Sure, I'll probably be on twitter every now and again with some random thing about England or writing or baking or Game of Thrones, but otherwise I don't really have anything worth posting about here. So until I find some motivated game time on W101 or P101, this blog is on hiatus!!<br />
<br />
Hope you all have a lovely May :)<br />
<br />
(And my birthday is this month, woop!)<br />
<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-37919741739701369272014-04-01T17:55:00.000-04:002014-04-01T17:55:10.426-04:00Everything Happens In AprilHey guys! So I forgot to mention that, as you may or may not have guessed already, everything that could possibly happen is happening in April :)<br />
<br />
<h2>
Major Points:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Camp NaNo - I'm just doing a 10k short story, but nonetheless it's happening</li>
<li>England - during this month's vacation I'll be in said foreign country and will be completely absent from absolutely everything</li>
<li>Lots of tests (it's a genetic statement, you catch my gist)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h2>
Littler Points:</h2>
<ul>
<li>ESO releases this Friday!!! (the 4th)</li>
<ul>
<li>Captain America also comes out this friday, but eh, whatever (I hear it's supposed to be good, though)</li>
</ul>
<li>GoT season 4 premiers Sunday the 6th :D</li>
<li>Tolkien con - you heard me, a <i>Tolkien con</i>. It's held at a local college and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get to go :3</li>
</ul>
<br />
When should you expect chapter four of <u>Chasing Shadows</u>? Well, if you haven't read chapter three, it's below this post. As to writing/editing/posting chapter four, that's a bit iffy. There's lots of school stuff being tossed around right now, and any writing time I get <i>should</i> be put towards Camp NaNo. However, as that is a short story, I believe that you can expect chapter four sometime this month (however, I really can't promise it at this point).<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, hope you all had a wonderful April Fool's day, either pranking or being pranked :p<br />
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Annnnnd as random screen shot :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg8zd5G1kkmKhe5RPMmUnjeAAaaV8lr2HLpIticbzGEesSqI8YM4qlwu1V0zPbYHe367W1Gkc-NNUPPzXWOnyCgpfDB8J-Z3uJP-KzZY17042emGsQ7R2XGle5IKJNC02p11nm_uUbIw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-27+at+11.43.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQg8zd5G1kkmKhe5RPMmUnjeAAaaV8lr2HLpIticbzGEesSqI8YM4qlwu1V0zPbYHe367W1Gkc-NNUPPzXWOnyCgpfDB8J-Z3uJP-KzZY17042emGsQ7R2XGle5IKJNC02p11nm_uUbIw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-27+at+11.43.24+PM.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-61773376764008669962014-03-28T12:00:00.000-04:002015-03-22T16:16:48.157-04:00Chasing Shadows - chapter three<h2>
Previously: </h2>
Ara, her brother Connor, and Daniel have been chosen as the Moonbranch representatives in the Arcane Items quest. After a week or preparing, they arrived at the Commons to hear from the Headmasters and Headmistresses of their enemy schools. Now the competition has begun, and Moonbranch has decided every man for himself. The first item to find has appeared, and now the fighting begins.<br />
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----------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chapter Three - wizard city</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) A silver pocket watch with a diamond pattern</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My eyes widened. Not only was the item given, but special requirements too!? Plus, a pocket watch could be hidden anywhere!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I folded up the paper and placed it securely on the inside of my uniform jacket. So much for my plan of hiding. I looked around - the others had already fanned out, searching homes, and moving into other areas of Wizard City. Only a couple people had immediately started dueling one another. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I paused. No, hiding was still my best option. I could make it work.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though it was broad daylight, some parts of Wizard City were dark. The Shopping District was pretty much constantly shadowed, and the Dark Cave, the Haunted Cave, and Nightside were pitch black. I would search those places first, then come nightfall I could search elsewhere. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moving towards the shop area, I kept an eye lookout everywhere, turning around once in awhile, and looking from side to side. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wizard City suddenly seemed like a ghost town. No one was in the Shopping District, so I ducked into the amulet shop first. Empty. I searched around the counter, the jewelry stands, and storage unit. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No pocket watches.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After checking the other stores, I concluded that there was nothing here. I moved onto Olde Town.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The day continued much like this. Checking the caves and street houses along the way. Around eventide I moved to check Ravenwood, having originally forgotten that this place was also shadowed. However, there was nothing there either.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, the sun vanished over the rooftops and I was alone in the dark... and also hungry. I should’ve searched for my safe house more. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The only positive thing I got out of the day was that now everyone else would be in their safe houses, eating, sleeping, and planning. I had all night to search around.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The places I hadn’t gone were Colossus Boulevard, Unicorn Way, and a full search of Triton Avenue. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I decided to make my way to Unicorn Way.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After an hour of searching there, I came up empty. Again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deciding to go to Triton Avenue second, I searched Olde Town again before entering the street.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I instantly decided that this place was a lot creepier at night. The storm themed street glowed eerily in the rising moonlight, and the echo of the river below was almost deafening. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But there was more than just that sound.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pausing and listening in the unusual silence, I try to make out the sound that didn’t quite fit. A sort of deep, gurgling sound. As I looked around, I deducted that it was coming from the river.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the sound down both ramps, it shifted to my left. Walking along the cliff I came to what looked like a giant rope hanging down into the river.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What the…?” I said aloud. I bent down next to it and looked down. Was… was that a rooftop? Giant bubbles gurgled up from it, making the sound I had heard earlier.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I glanced behind and around me. No one seemed to be here. Quickly changing into more appropriate swim attire and concealing my backpack behind a tree, I climbed down the rope into the lukewarm river. Once in the water, I took a deep breath and dived. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Underwater was surprisingly clear. I swam deeper into what appeared to be an underwater, ruined town.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I though victoriously. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This must be the rumored Crab Alley!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just like everywhere else, the place was empty: no fish, no crabs, and no street monsters. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To keep myself from floating back up, I clung to the edge of a roof and peered around. There were a lot of houses, and I didn’t have enough air to search all of them. On the plus side it wasn’t a very big street. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I rose to the surface, and gasped in breath. My wet head instantly began to chill. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, I dived down, swimming faster and to the right. I quickly came to a wall with a giant crack in it. Debris was scattered all around, and within was only darkness.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again rising to the surface, I paused. Where would one hide a pocket watch underwater? Well, the same place one might above water as well. I had seen what looked like a palace - maybe I could try there first.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking my biggest breath yet, I swam downward to the palace and worked to wrench open the door with great difficulty. Quickly, my lungs began to burn. Then, with what felt like a huge suction of air, I was pulled into the building and deposited on the floor.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breathing.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I looked around. Inside was not filled water, instead it was filled with stale air and I could breathe normally. I gave a little laugh, as though mocking death, and then looked around. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a throne room for sure. A long, red carpet led up to a small, padded throne that looked like it could only seat a child. Stone pillars lined the side, and water-logged, potted plants sat on pedestals along the wall. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A desk was to the right. It looked small in the high-ceilinged room. Figures, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">everything</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> looked small in this room. The desk was piled with papers written in an odd, cryptic language.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Curious about this language, I picked up a book at random, and upon opening it, was more than surprised when I found the inside had been carved out and on a little velvet cushion was a silver pocket watch with a diamond pattern.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A smile broke out over my entire face. Filled with sudden euphoria, I wondered if I was the first to find it. On day one too! I grabbed the silver pocket watch, which fit comfortably in the palm of my hand and was hanging from a matching silver chain, and slung it over my neck. I took a moment to admire the delicately crafted surface: there was one large diamond in the center, and then from there diamonds were snuggled against one another in all possible spaces. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once done observing, I skipped almost giddily back to the door. Taking a breath, I opened it. The same suction of air pulled me out, and I instantly bobbed to the surface.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following the gentle current of the river, I grabbed the rope hanging over the edge and painfully climbed, the entire time cursing my weak upper body strength.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once sitting safely on the edge of the bank, I took out my list to see what the second item was. It hadn’t gotten a single drop of water on it. Magic was weird sometimes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) A silver pocket watch with a diamond pattern</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) A silver pocket watch with a rose pattern</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another watch!?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whatever</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I thought. If the first had been in a castle, then the second might also be in such a place. The only other palace I could think of was Gobblestone Castle on Colossus Boulevard, a place I had yet to search. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jumping up and gathering my stuff, changing back into my more comfortable, and dry, uniform, I quickly made my way out of Triton Avenue. As I did, a shiver settled on my spine, and I paused a moment as a shudder shook my shoulders. I looked behind me and to my right, down the lane that led to that skeleton dude’s tower - what was his name? Rattlebones? Oh, I didn’t know. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was no one there. I shifted my bag, deciding I was just cold from my swim in the river, then continued into the moonlit street of Olde Town and over to the Shopping District. The night was quite warm, and my boots treaded softly on the worn cobblestone. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The temperature dropped quite noticeably as I entered Colossus Boulevard. Snow drifts crunched beneath my feet as I hurried down the street, hoping no one else was here to hear me. It was also quite bright, as the moon reflected off the snow.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This street was, again, completely empty. Not a monster nor person in sight. For some reason that really irked me. I mean, there was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">always</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at least </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">someone</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, if not something, in every street of every world. And now? No one. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Creepy.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I reached the castle, I hurried across the bridge and eased the huge, stone doors open and slipped inside the grand hall. As I trotted down the hall, and heard the door bang shut behind me, again I felt the presence of someone watching me. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spun around and glared around, but saw nothing different or out of the ordinary. Sighing, deciding it was only paranoia, I quickly started looking through the crates of food for a silver pocket watch with a rose pattern. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I did, I wondered if all the items would be hidden similarly as the first pocket watch had been - in a carved out book. A book on a shelf is more than inconspicuous, and I bet a lot of people would overlook it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With that thought in mind, I shifted my search to a side room, and sure enough there was a bookshelf teetering on rotten wooden legs, sagging under the hundreds of books stuffed on its thin shelves.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“A disgrace to literature,” I muttered aloud. Gingerly, I slipped one book out from the shelf, then jumped back as the entire thing came crashing down. My jaw dropped in shock and fear - shock that this had actually just happened, and in fear that someone had heard. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You have got to be kidding me,” I sighed, flipping open the cover of the book I was holding. Nothing - just oily pages with illegible handwriting. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fifteen books later, I still had no luck. Not to mention I found a flattened cupcake in one. Gross. Gross. Grossgrossgrossgross. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Gobblers have no respect for literature. Books are not places to hold food. Wrong wrong wrong - on so many levels,” I groaned aloud. “And what is this? Macaroni in ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Seventh Headmaster</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’? How rude, that’s a classic so famous they make us read it.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My OCD kicked in and I started organizing the books off to the side in alphabetical order by author last name. It was the least I could do. I would have to inform Headmistress Dame Senka-Cora about this abomination to history.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Upon picking up ‘</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Castle</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’ - a children’s chapter book with pictures - I notice it was lighter than the others. Halfway to ecstatic, I wrenched it open, and started beaming. Sitting on a blue velvet cloth was a silver pocket watch with a rose pattern. The pattern was similar to that of the diamond one, but rather than repeating roses, the space around the blooming flower was taken by by thorns and leaves.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“My luck is with me today,” I said happily. I took out the list to see what was next. Since it would be in Krokotopia, perhaps I would have to find an old Krokotopian tablet, or maybe even an old staff...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) A silver pocket watch with a diamond pattern</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2) A silver pocket watch with a rose pattern</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3) A bronze pocket watch with a clover pattern</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another pocket watch.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeah, why would I think otherwise? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sighing none too quietly, I slipped the list back in my pocket while bringing the second watch over my head. It rested heavily against my chest, clanking against the first. I groaned lightly in defeat, before shrugging my pack off my back and stuffing them in the bottom. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My body froze at the sound of hissing behind me. The blood rushing from my head, I turned, dream-like, to see a Thunder Snake eyeing me evilly from the room entrance - my way out. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Behind it stood a female wizard dressed in vicious looking Dragonspyre armor colored purple and yellow. I guessed she was from Dragonspyre Academy. Her eyes blazed a stunning violet, and that plus the Thunder Snake </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">plus</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> her clothing colors gave away that she was a Storm Wizard. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I raised my own wand and summoned an Air Spirit while at the same time adjusting my pack over one shoulder. The Air Spirit took her ghost-like form, floating between me and the snake. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The snake attacked first. I jumped to the side to dodge a lightning bolt as the Air Spirit swooped down and lifted the snake against the wall. The Storm girl muttered something under her breath, and then it started pelting rain. From the stone floor rose a rock, and standing on the rock was a massive Kraken. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Aw man,” I groaned. I raised my own wand again, swirling it around to trace the Void symbol. From my wand spilled blinding white light. The Kraken roared and thrashed around. I took the opportunity to race to the wall and shove my wand through it. It sunk into the stone, and a moment later I was pulled with it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However I completely forgot Gobblestone Castle was over a river. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I squeaked in surprise as the blue water came rushing up to me and submerged me in freezing coldness. Before I was washed over the edge, I teleported myself. My mind, however, was muddled with cold and adrenaline, and I landed on my hands and knees not in the Commons, but in what appeared to be behind some houses in the Shopping District. I was also sopping wet and shivering. Wonderful.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I coughed for a moment, trying to regain my breath, before standing to my feet. My knuckles were white from gripping my wand and my teeth were chattering. Achingly, I forced my hands to relax. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once feeling more or less in control of my body, I feverishly ripped my backpack off my shoulder and searched through the mess of things. My heartbeat slowed and a sigh of relief escaped my lips when my fingers intertwined with two chains. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Thank the Blind Goddess,” I muttered. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And then my skin prickled again. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sick of the feeling that I was being watched and decided that I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> being watched, without a thought I whipped around and cast Dove. Fifty white doves flew from my wand towards a tree. Now it sounded like a useless spell, but in truth - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Argh!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- it could be quite useful. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A boy with flaming red hair tumbled from behind the tree, fighting off doves. He rolled about on the ground until I had gotten a good laugh out of it and dismissed the spell. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He continued groaning, his hands covering his face. “Gah, I think they pecked my eye out.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Don’t confuse dove’s with pigeons,” I replied, snarkiness pulling at my voice. I kneeled down so I’m closer to him, wondering where he was from. His attire was not what I recognized - black slacks, bare feet, white quarter-sleeve shirt, and a dark silver-gray vest. He looked extremely non-magical. “Who’re you?” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The boy looked at me through cracked fingers. It took him a long time to answer. “Who wants to know?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You know, I could bring the Doves back - ”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No no no, I’m good.” He struggled to sit up, and I don’t help him. I stared into a well tanned face with wide, golden eyes, a rare yet very captivating eye color. “Uh, I’m called Robi.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Like... short for Robert?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He raised a longer finger at me. “No, that’s pronounced rob-ee. I’m just robe-ee.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I put my hands up and smirked. “Right.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Who’re you?” Robi asked. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Anonymous.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He rolled his eyes. “Never mind.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What are you doing here?” I went on, getting down to business. “I don’t remember seeing you in the Commons.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A nervous smile creeped onto his face. “Ok. You got me, but if anyone asks, I’m from Trollpetal.” Trollpetal was a small-scale school located somewhere in Celestia... I think.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yeah. Right,” I replied disbelieving. “So what are you doing here then?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Searching for someone.” His reply was instantaneous, and confusion crossed his face quickly before vanishing. “Um...”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Searching for who?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He shrugged. “Don’t know. I’m following a magical trail from Moonbranch, it’s one of those three people that I’m searching for, and I’m supposed to figure out who it is and - ” He cut short. “Hang on a second, why am I telling - ?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Because I asked and I’m nice,” I interrupted, but I frowned slightly nonetheless. This Robi dude was looking for either Daniel, Connor, or myself, but why? “Why do you want to find this specific individual?” I inquired. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So I can protect them from - ” He cut short again and face palmed himself. “Ugh, I did it again!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Did what again?” I asked in the same voice as him.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Answer your question without thought. And look! It just happened again!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My brow creased and I folded my arms. “You are not making any sense.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You mean you don’t realize it?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Realize what!?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You’re - !” Robi seemed at a loss of words, as though he couldn’t decide how to explain it, or if he should explain it all. Finally he took a deep breath, and asked, “What school are you from?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Use your eyes, dimwit,” I retorted, motioning to my uniform where the symbol of Moonbranch, a leafless tree in front of a full moon, was clearly stitched on the front. Robi’s eyes fell on it and widened. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yeah.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But it can’t be you.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Can’t be me what and why not?” I demanded. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You’re weak,” he replied, then slapped a hand over his mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I scowled at him. “Either you did that because you just insulted me, or it’s because of earlier superstition. Which is it?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Superstition,” he mumbled through his hand, then slapped his other hand over his mouth as well. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I threw my hands in the air. “What is your problem!?” I exclaimed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I keep answering your questions!” he replied desperately. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is that so bad?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why!?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Because - !”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shut up!” I interrupted suddenly, throwing him to the ground behind the house as footsteps came running. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“What - ” he began, but I slapped my hand over his two hands over his mouth.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shut up,” I hissed at him again, then looked up, trying to determine where the footsteps were now.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I heard voices!” someone, a male voiced, announced. “Somewhere over here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We’re wasting our time, Roland,” said a female voice. “There’s no one here.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">know</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I heard voices. Some sort of argument.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Then maybe two people met, they argued, fought, someone lost, and now the victor has moved on,” reasoned the girl. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I sneaked a peek around the corner, making sure Robi remained immobile. The three Ravenwood kids were standing in the middle of the street. The girl, a pink-haired Pyromancer called Evane, had her hands on her hips as the lead boy, Roland formerly nicknamed Blondie, scanned narrowed eyes around each tree and cobblestone house. The last boy, brown-haired Ian, was leaning nonchalantly against a house, seemingly bored. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I ducked back behind the house, looking into the golden eyes of Robi again. Indeed, they were very captivating, and it took a lot of my willpower to pull myself away. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Roland ‘tch’-ed and said, “Come on then. Apparently there was some commotion at Colossus Boulevard.” The sound of three pairs of feet moved down the street and soon vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief and backed away from Robi, suddenly ‘no business’ again.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So what </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> you doing here? Why do you want to find someone from Moonbranch?” I demanded quietly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Robi sighed, leaning against the house. “Well, it was a task for my former master.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Former?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes. He wanted me to kill this person, but once I found out the truth I changed my... tactics. Now I must protect them.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Now noble,” I replied sarcastically. “Anyway, that’s interesting, so the person you’re looking for is either me, my brother, or Daniel?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Exactly.” Before I could say more, Robi asked, “What are you last names?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My eyes widened and I reeled back in mock horror. “Stalker!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s a normal question!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Not from you!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why not!?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You’re suspicious!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Am not!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh come </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, you’re following me around,” I said firmly, crossing my arms. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> keep making me answer your questions,” Robi retorted.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I raised an eyebrow. “I did? So, what, I have some sort of magical power?” I laughed as he smiled nervously. He didn’t answer that question, but maybe that was because he didn’t have an answer to it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I had better go...” he said at last.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shrugged. “Okay. If you find a pocket watch, tell me.”</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-87372722-f693-e690-ffad-a643b8dbacf6"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He smiled and half saluted. “Will do.” Then he vanished in a quick puff of red smoke, like a snuffed out candle. Standing still, I stared at the spot where he had been a second ago, his white teeth and glowing eyes imprinted in the front of my mind.</span></div>
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<br />
Okay, so apparently you can't read this on your mobile device >_> Sorry guys, formatting is what calls, but I'll see if I can do anything about it.<br />
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In any case, how was that? Introduced a new, neat character. And sorry this chapter was so long, but I didn't want it to seem rushed -_- The next chapter won't be nearly as long, so don't worry. So basically I'm unintentionally spoiling some stuff for you, great :p<br />
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Laterz!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-46253369343868138732014-03-25T20:22:00.000-04:002014-03-26T20:47:59.013-04:00Hello, World(This is short and sweet, believe me.)<br />
<br />
Well, haven't seen you guys in a while :D<br />
<br />
Goal: post more.<br />
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In case you haven't noticed - and it would be sad if you haven't - I've started up with my fanfic trilogy again. I'm very happy with this because I had forgotten how proud of that plot line I was ;) I hope to keep regularly updating that.<br />
<br />
However -<br />
<br />
"THERE'S ALWAYS A "HOWEVER.""<br />
<br />
...However, I've also taken on a challenge to experience the draining life of an AP student. My friend is in two AP classes and she stays up repeatedly till 2am every night... well, I want to see if I could take that. So it's going to be some late nights for me :)<br />
<br />
However, since I don't have homework to do at that hour, it leaves me with one option: games.<br />
<br />
Which could possibly mean some lame updates for you guys.<br />
<br />
I mean, seriously, I'm in Celestia.<br />
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I thought Dragonspyre was a ghost town, Celestia is worse -_-<br />
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Because of that, I'll most likely be on P101 during these nights, pretending I care about questing. Honestly, I'm a horrible quester... hey, I just got an idea for a post. Well that's always good!<br />
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That's basically all I wanted to say! And, well, a thanks to those of you who have stuck with me through all my ramblings and sporadic postings :) You're all awesome.<br />
<br />
~Emma<br />
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<br />
P.S.<br />
I updated the template a bit to make the next on the sidebar more readable. So... Good? Bad? Is the white text too bright still (on the post)? Thoughts please!! :)Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-6393798258108084862014-03-24T00:00:00.000-04:002015-03-22T16:21:49.834-04:00Chasing Shadows -- chapter two<h2>
Previously: </h2>
Ara, our hard-headed protagonist, her brother Connor, and a strange classmate named Daniel were chosen to represent Moonbranch Academy in a strange Spiral quest called the Arcane Items. Because of their three, different fighting styles, their Headmistress proclaimed them "a perfect team." However discovering how to work like one is looking to be impossible.<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chapter Two – starting point</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One week went by fast. It was hard not telling my best friend, Angela Greene, about the Arcane Items quest thing (not that I even knew how to begin to describe it). By the time the week was over, Moonbranch Academy was buzzing with excitement about the upcoming no-questing month, which was when the Arcane Items quest would happen. The month in which I would have to find ten hidden items, and battle against other schools.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other schools namely Ravenwood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Myself - Ara Soulstone - my brother Connor, and, the last of us, Daniel Lionsheart, were chosen to participate in this quest. As soon as the week was over, were teleported to the Commons. So now we’re standing in the empty area, and three representative of Ravenwood, Dragonspyre Academy, Pigswick, and other schools that I’d never even heard of, stood facing the row of Headmasters and Headmistresses, who regarded us with glares.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The three from Ravenwood looked powerful in their exotic gear and scornful expressions. Their fingers played with glowing wands in the shapes of deadly looking swords, and large bags sat on the ground besides them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“This is the Arcane Items Quest,” said Headmaster Merle Ambrose in a booming voice. “You will have thirty-one days, one month, to find ten items. Two items from each of the first five worlds.” A blank sheet of paper popped in front of us and hovered in midair. Once everyone grabbed theirs it lost it’s weightlessness. “One item will appear at a time, only when that item is found shall the next appear. A safe house as been set for each of you in each world. On the matter of where it is…Well…” He grinned mischievously. “Let’s just say it’s one more thing you have to find.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our Headmistress, Dame Senka-Cora, stepped forward. “The first item on your list will appear in one hour. Prepare yourselves until then, that’s when the quest starts.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suddenly all the teachers vanished in the crack like pop of teleportation. All of us, twenty-seven total, a sum of nine schools, were silent. We gazed around, observing our competition. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, everyone looked like fair competition, but Connor thought differently.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We need to take out Ravenwood as soon as possible,” he whispered to Daniel and I. “That’ll make this deal a whole lot easier.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We? Weren’t you the one who said we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shouldn’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> work as a team?” I retorted.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“That was before I–”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No, save the excuses. You said you could do it on your own, so on your own you shall do it.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I turned, ready to leave, and practically run into one of the Ravenwood kids. All three of them had migrated over: two boys and a girl. All of them were practically a head taller than I was, so I had to crane my neck up with the front guy standing so close. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The front one had sandy blonde hair and was dressed in long robes of blue and yellow, signifying he was of the Myth School. The second boy was dressed in black and red, making it hard to tell whether he was a Necromancer or a Pyromancer (maybe both?), and had light brown hair. The girl had bright pink hair, glasses, a haughty expression, and dressed in red and orange. She was probably a Pyromancer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So you’re the batch of Moonbranch kids this year, huh?” said the blonde guy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connor came forward and pushed me aside. “Yeah. You got something to say about that?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blondie smirked devilishly. “Not at all. My comrades and I were merely wondering how… long you would last.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Longer than you will,” Connor retorted confidently. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brown haired boy snickered. With a glare from his blonde-haired friend he fell silent. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Enough said. We’re done here. Let’s go Ian, Evane.” They marched away. Connor was frowning fiercely, glaring at their backs. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I, too, was frustrated with them, though I was doing my best to hide it. Daniel seemed to be the only one with no emotion. Speaking of Daniel, I don’t think I’ve heard a single word from him since we had met…</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I concentrated on the ground, thinking about what my plan would be. This would take place over the period of a month, so I would need food and a place to sleep. That meant while I looked for the first item, I should also keep an eye out for my safe house. The item might also affect where it’s hidden. If it were a book, the best place to look would be a library. If it were a magical item, the shops in the Shopping District would have the best chance. Then again, it could be a simple stone sunk to the bottom of a pond...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But staying alive was my first priority. Which meant avoiding the other participants, and finding food and shelter, even if that wasn’t the safe house.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After getting bored of thinking this over, I decided to observe my competition. Clearly Ravenwood would be the school to avoid. Pigswick students were cheaters, so I had to stay away from them as well. The other schools would be harder to gauge since I had never had any contact with them. It was always Ravenwood this and Ravenwood that.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of the others had taken seats on the soft grass and were looking over maps, books, items, or conversing with their team. My own team was scattered, Conner a ways to my left and Daniel a ways to my right. I sighed, corporation would be impossible. I took a seat and dug out a novel I had brought along, deciding to pass the time by reading. It wasn’t like I had anything better to do...</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deep into the story, I was more than surprised when a loud bell rang, signaling the start of the search. I quickly shoved the book back in my bag, and grabbed the paper that would have the list on it. Sure enough, the first item had appeared at the top:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">1) A silver pocket watch with a diamond pattern</span></div>
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<br />
:D I got a post up! This chapter was short. As a heads up, the chapters are organized by the world being searched in, so chapter 3 will be Ara's entire search and successful finding of the items in Wizard City. Same goes for Krokotopia, Marleybone, and Mooshu. Things get a little whacky in Dragonspyre, though ;)<br />
<br />
Laterz!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-53706099217189035602014-03-21T20:23:00.000-04:002015-03-22T16:16:58.038-04:00Chasing Shadows -- chapter one<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 19px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chapter One – rules and regulations</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I awoke with a start, covered in a cold sweat, my nerves jumping out of my skin. I looked around frantically, wondering, thinking, confused.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where am I?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What just happened?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who am I?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I snapped bolt up right. I appeared to be in a bed. The window next to me was open, letting in chilly morning air, and I instantly began to shiver from the cold. A comforter was thrown over my legs and I was dressed in a nightgown. Odd, I didn’t remember being in a nightgown.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Something beside me stirred and I jolted away. A blonde head popped out from underneath the covers and looked at me with blue eyes. It was a young boy, my age maybe. He smiled sleepily. “Why are you awake so early, Ara?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I looked away, an odd calm suddenly falling over me. My name was Ara. Yes, I remembered that much. I was in my home. But the more I looked around, the more alien this place looked, but I remembered it all the same. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was the painting, called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two Trees</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, that this boy, my brother, had knocked down two years ago. Out the door in the hallway was where his friend had run into the wall and chipped a tooth. Downstairs mother had once over boiled the pasta and spilled it all over the floor.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shook my head. No, those weren’t my memories.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet I could see it all, remember it all crystal clear.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ara?” asked the boy. I turned to him again. His name was Connor, how could I forget? “Well, I suppose we can get up anyway. It’s your birthday.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For what felt like the first time in my life, I spoke. “Birthday?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes. You’re turning nine today. Happy birthday!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">†††</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three years later</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The wind raged over the ocean, churning the waters, froth flying high into the sky. Spray could be mistaken for rain. The dark, gray clouds rolled onwards, pouring white hail that flared momentarily in the lightning, and rain that seemed to beat to the rhythm of thunder. Even under the freezing blue water the bass noise pulsed through the ocean like a second heart. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was no such thing as silence.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The uncontrollable forces of nature clashed in a raging enmity. Lightning flashed like broken bones, cracked and white, empty and only there for a moment. Crashes of thunder followed in suit, vibrating the water and dispersing the other noises in the air.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One man was watching all of this. He gazed from a large window, streaked with rain, in a room on the second floor of a grand house. The house was white, and around it was a beautiful garden and pond. Within was decorated with paintings, vases, ornate carpets, and warmly lit by many candles and chandeliers. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man himself, no more than twenty years of age, was dressed very nicely, with a pressed, black suit, shiny black shoes, fancy white hand gloves with two brass buttons on each, and an eyeglass chain hung from the coat pocket. His left hand rested on a tall ebony cane with a glittering diamond on top.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beside him, on a short table, also made of ebony, its only decoration a white lace dolly, sat a tall top hat. It glimmered, showing the care and tenderness it received. This hat was the mans life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The door opened behind him and he turned. Standing on the threshold was a servant who bowed. “He was brought as you wished my master.” He left the room, and another man entered. He was younger, but he hid his features under a large traveling coat, dripping wet with rain.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Quite the storm out there, isn’t it?” said the man with the cane.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Indeed,” replied the other.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I hope your travel was safe.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It was for the most part. What would you like to speak about?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I wanted to ask you about that… little thing you promised me.” Another servant came in, carrying a silver tray. It held a matching teapot, two cups and saucers, milk, sugar, and a small plate of crumbling tarts. The man helped himself. “Sugar?” he offered the other.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cloaked man shook his head. “It’s confusing. I think I found them, but something keeps getting in the way. It’s hard to tell which one is the right one.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Come now. It can’t be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> hard to find a simple little runaway.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It may have been more than a runaway. Sir, they </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">switched dimensions</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Anything could’ve happened. Ageing, disabilities, memory loss–”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And I’m sure your capable self will find them.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cloaked man glared, his amber-red eyes gleaming in the flickering candlelight. “Perhaps if I knew more, details you haven’t told me, I might be able to do the job faster.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I don’t care what time it takes you. Take all the time you need. I just want them found. That is all I ask, and I believe I am paying you more than enough to do this one, little job.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“If it’s so simple, why not do it yourself.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man laughed, holding his teacup away from him as to not spill its contents on his suit. “My life is in danger as long as that person is missing. Not imminent danger, but danger all the same.” He suddenly turned serious. “Find them, or you can forget about your reward.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cloaked man stiffened, but nodded. “As you wish. I shall work harder from now on. Have no worries, I will get the job done.” He turned and left the room, his boots squeaking on the wet wood. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The man, now alone, the only sound the drumming of the rain, grinned evilly into his teacup. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have no worries,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he thought. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is you who hesitates. Just remember our deal, and it will all work out just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">†††</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Four years later</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I dashed through the dark halls of the school. The thick, blue carpet with elaborate embroidery cushioned my footsteps and made the sound practically inaudible. The only light was the moon that poured through the stained glass windows in pools of red, green, and blue. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The stonewalls emitted a cool temperature. I paused and slowed my breathing, trying to heighten my senses, listening for anyone following me. Upon hearing nothing, I took the right hand corridor and walked quietly, my entire body on alert for any noise made not by me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was no rug in this hallway, and was made entirely of stone. Paintings hung up and down the hall, torches were mounted between each one. Some of the paintings were beautiful, splashes of color that showed a garden, a café, or a busy street. They showed the enjoyment and happiness in life. However every now and then you saw a blank canvas of darkness, barely making out a sacrifice altar, dripping blood, or severed body parts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coming across one, I grimaced and turned my head away. The decorator of this place must’ve had a weird taste in art.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of the hallway I looked both ways. It was a toss up, I could find someone at either end, and that wasn’t really what I wanted right now: fighting. Gingerly taking a step to the right, I held back a surprised shriek as the rock next to my head exploded.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I whirled around to face a boy, maybe a year or two younger than I, charging at me, wand held high. My own wand instantly whipped out and traced a symbol in the air. Activating it, a shimmering transparent wall appeared between us, and the boy’s spell bounced off.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think his name was Matthew.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Casting an attack spell, my spell went threw the wall and hit him in the chest. His eyes widen in surprise before he fell to the ground. After a second he vanished in an array of light and sparkles.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I heaved a sigh of relief. I wasn’t the best dueler, but unlike my brother liked to think, I could defend myself if I needed to.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I paused for a moment. How long had I been here? A couple hours at least. I should go back to the Atrium and check up on how many people were left. The sooner this was over the better.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cautiously making my way back down the corridor, I soon came to a large, round room. Ledges on the second floor wound around above, bridges going over the gap to the center where a thick column housed a multitude of books.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Darting forward to put my back to a thin pillar, I slid a book from the shelf and opened it up randomly. In the center of the page, in curly ink handwriting, was a single number.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">9</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Closing it swiftly and putting it back, I glanced around. No one in sight. I darted down a different hallway, this one a little wider with bare walls made of gray stone. Bursts of light illuminated the end of the hall where it turned in a corner. By the shouting and sounds of spell casting, I assumed people must be fighting. I shouldn’t go any closer, I should turn around and go back while I had the chance. However, truth be told, I was bored. Edging closer, I peeked around the corner.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two boys were locked in combat. One I recognized, the ever-popular Connor Soulstone. Yellow and bright white spells flew from his wand at his opponent, a boy about the same age. I think his name was Caleb…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With one final spell, Caleb fell to the ground, and soon after he vanished in a shower of sparkling light. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now that the fight was over I decided I should get away, far away, before Connor rounded the corner and saw me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I turned to leave I swallowed a gasp to find another boy behind me, his name was James Holm. He smiled evilly. “Hey there, Ara.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I backed against the wall; Connor was sure to have heard. Sure enough, he rounded the corner, a curious look on his face. He grinned when he saw James and me. “Well look who we have here.” He walked forward confidently. “Hey there James. Ara. How have you guys been doing? I see you’re still here.” He motioned at me. I said nothing. “Just checked back at the Atrium. Ten left huh? After poor Caleb I guess there’s only nine.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Eight, actually,” I corrected, not showing any emotion. “I saw nine before you defeated Caleb. There are eight of us left.” My hand behind my back, I started to trace a small symbol on the wall. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">James glared. “Like we need your opinion miss – ”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Now that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> useful information,” interrupted Connor. “And after this there will only be six.” He glared at James who stiffened and swallowed nervously. Connor grinned, knowing he was the most powerful one here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But not the smartest.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just keep up the monologue,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I silently pleaded. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I need only a few more seconds…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, it’s not like you don’t need my help or anything,” James was saying nervously. “Teamwork is a category assessed here.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yeah, but I don’t need a team,” Connor sneered. His hand flew forward as James backed away and I pressed my hand against the symbol.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The room went pitch black and both boys exclaimed in surprise. Taking the opportunity I had created, I pressed myself against the wall, feeling the chilling sensation as I passed through the wall into the adjacent hallway. I stood still, breathing hard, my palms gripping the cold stone has I heard loud booms and yelling from the other side. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seven left,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I thought.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This hallway was darker than the others, I must be on the other side of the school where the moon wasn’t shining through the windows. I took a few steps and shoved myself into the indent in the wall where a wooden door on ornate iron hinges was. In my already dark blue uniform, I should be practically invisible. I knew Connor was coming after me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sure enough, not a minute later, I heard footsteps, but not Connor’s. These were light and tiny. The next moment a small girl with flying blonde hair was running past me, panting. Probably running from Connor.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But something was wrong. This place was small, I knew practically everyone, however I didn’t recognize her. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Curious, I cautiously pried myself out of the nook and stared after he as she disappeared down the next corridor. Jogging a little to keep up, I chased after her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I always seemed to be just too far behind her, barely catching a glimpse of her before she vanished down the next hallway. Finally, I knew she was going to be trapped, as she turned left. That was a dead end. Even so, when I turned I found the hallway empty. I knew there were no other hallways down here, and going into a classroom was against the rules. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Malicious laughter echoed behind me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spun around to face Connor, again walking confidently towards me. “I knew your curiosity would get the better of you, Ara,” he said. I glared and backed against the wall, pressing my hand against it. Connor’s eyes widen and he put his hand up. “Oh no! You can’t do that again.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brilliantly shining crystal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mouth dropped open. “You have a…?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Indeed I do. Rare aren’t they?” He looked at it, almost affectionately. “A trapped star, nothing can darken it’s light.” He looked over at me. “I guess your little trick won’t work again.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But my mind was already coming up with a plan on how get by him. As I said before: he’s not the smartest guy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh shoot, you got me,” I said sarcastically. “Guess it’ll be down to six then.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yup. And then five, then four, then three, finally two…” He smiled. “And at last one.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“How many times have you won? Fifteen? Twenty?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Well, every single time except the time you won. I got beat by that Kevin guy. And you managed to run the entire time.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I snickered. “And I still am.” My wand whipped out and started tracing a symbol in the air. “Sorry about this, brother,” I said with devilish sweetness. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He smiled, not expecting much from the spell. Oh how wrong he would be. “Nothing to apologize about. Sister.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The room filled with sudden light. Not as bright as the star, but bright enough still to blind anyone around it. Startling him as I shoved him in the shoulder so he collapsed to the ground, but not hurt, I ran as fast as I could down the hallway and back the way I had come.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It went on like this for another hour or so: me, running, and listening with a beating heart as the explosive sounds of spell casting echoed around the school. Finally, it went into overtime and everyone left was teleported to the outside grounds. Only three were there: Connor, a boy named Daniel, and me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">†††</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My name is Ara Soulstone, and I attend Moonbranch Academy, a school built on a large spit of floating land. Unlike Ravenwood, which is nestled in the heart of Wizard City, Moonbranch remains its own world. I came here with my fraternal twin brother, Connor, four years ago to learn magic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They teach a slightly different type of magic here than they do at Ravenwood School and Dragonspyre Academy. For one, learn four classes of magic rather than seven: Thorn, Leaf, Wind, and Void. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For some reason, the Headmistress, Dame Senka-Cora, had a vendetta against Ravenwood, so we rival them in everything. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but nothing seems to dim the passion of hatred we have for them, nor them for us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moonbranch is one massive building. Mostly made out of gray stone, it always shone in the constant moonlight. All the windows are stained glass and carpets are in almost all hallways.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlike Ravenwood, here we had uniforms. For girls, it consisted of a long, dark blue tunic with three-fourths sleeves, a gold collar and belt, the academy symbol on the chest. The skirt was made of many folds and had a jagged edge, and came down to just above the knee. School shoes were simple blue flats, but when we were out questing we usually used tall boots. The boys uniform was generally the same, however they had full-length sleeves on a more coat-like tunic, and flared out trousers, and they wore boots all the time. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each student, of course, has a set school like one does in Ravenwood, as well as a secondary. For example, I’m a Void Wizard taking second in Wind. Connor is also a Void Wizard, however he takes second in Thorn.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We were orphaned when we were young and grew up with our grandparents in Marlybone. When we were eleven we were told we had scholarships to Moonbranch, and thus we kissed goodbye to our Ravenwood friends. We see them sometimes when we’re out questing, but we must keep up our reputation of dislike. Like at the other schools, we quest in the same worlds of the Spiral, level, earn spells, and fight monsters. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the school hours we have general classes: music, history, literature, and mathematics. After that we went to our wizardly classes: whichever two we’ve chosen. This was the only time I saw Connor, when we studied our Void magic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Void was the magic of light and dark and color. When you begin you only start with spells of light, then moved on to spells of death, quickly becoming virtually unstoppable when they’re put together. Color came much later, and neither of us have learned it yet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wind was learning to control the changes in nature, and bending them to your pleasing. This was really only useful in areas that have dramatic changes in temperature, such as Wizard City, Krokotopia, and Dragonspyre. Using wind, snow, rain, and any other types of weather, Wind Wizards dispel attacks and add many defensive boosts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thorn was the magic of weakness, finding the faults in your opponents and using it against them. It was a very sly and sneaky way of attacking, so most Thorn Wizards liked the cover of darkness to aid to them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lastly, Leaf was the magic of helping allies, healing, giving them defensive or offensive boosts, as well as entwining enemies and placing powerful enchantments on them to render them unable to use magic, or incapable of moving.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We didn’t need the seven different schools like the other academies do. We were fine with only four, and so far we had not failed. Yes, we get taunted a lot about failing at any moment because we only have four types of magic, but I’m telling you we manage perfectly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Like all other Wizards, we also have access to Astral School training, the magic of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Connor and I aren’t there yet, but we’re looking forward to the polymorphs. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I room with a pretty brown-haired and green-eyed girl named Angela Greene, a Leaf Wizard taking second in Wind. She’s a year older, but she’s my closest friend. As you may have noticed, Connor and I don’t get along very well. It’s a brother-sister thing.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were many things I loved about this school. The teachers were nice, the other students were tolerable, the spells were fun to show off with, and the history of the school was crazy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other thing I loved was sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ara! Wake up! You’ve got half an hour! Lazy!” Angela smacked me with a pillow over and over. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I tried to pull the covers over my head. “Just a couple more minutes… Please… A little more…”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">last</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> time you said that and I allowed it, you went to class </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">late</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">! I heard Professor Galen was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">furious</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">!” Galen was the professor of Void magic.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So? He’s easy going…”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But I’m not!” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The warm covers were suddenly yanked off and my legs were met by what seemed like freezing cold air.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nooo…” I moaned. “Give ‘em back!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I sat up and shoved tangles of dark blue, black streaked hair out of my eyes, and rubbed the grit from them. I sleepily clawed at the covers, but Angela had already spread them out on the wooden floor. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Mean,” I muttered. I stood, stretched, yawned, yawned some more, and washed my face in the bathroom. When I came back out, more refreshed, I looked around. “Where’s my quilt?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angela was grinning evilly next to an open window.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ugh! You jerk!” I quickly clambered into my uniform (I was </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> going out in my nightgown), untangled my hair as best as I could, then ran out of the room as Angela rolled around laughing on the floor. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Running outside, I quickly gathered up the blanket, thankfully there wasn’t any dew on the grass so it was dry, and sprinted back inside. Angela stood in front of the door, her book bag hanging from her shoulder, and mine cradled in her arms.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I tossed the blanket on the bed, yanked my bag from her, and stormed down the hallway, she following, still laughing and muttering, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I’m so sorry.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You owe me your strawberry pudding tonight.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Of course, of course. Anything,” she replied, still giggling. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have our basic classes together, but part ways after; I making my way with the other Void students to Professor Galen’s room, she going with the other Leaf students to Professor Christine’s room. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone took their seats as the second bell rang, me in the far left, Connor in the front right. Basically as far away from each other as possible. However, as I took my seat, I noticed he wasn’t present...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once Void class was over I would go to Wind class. I didn’t know many people there. I mean, sure I knew them by name, but I wasn’t friends with them or anything.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, I wasn’t sitting down for long. As soon as the had bell rung, Headmistress Dame Senka-Cora stepped into the room. Professor Galen looked up startled. “Headmistress,” he said, less of a statement and more of a question.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She gazed around the room, made eye contact with me, and looked back up at him. “I’m sorry, Professor, I have to borrow Miss Soulstone for a the time being. It’s an urgent matter, I’m sure you’ll understand.” She smiled, but it showed no emotion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But of course,” he responded instantly, stuttering. He was a nice man, dressed in a slightly oversized, brown tunic and long cape, head balding and face wrinkling, but his eyes always sparkled with passion.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Headmistress nodded. “Come along dear, no dawdling.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I shoved my books back into my back and stumbled after her out into the silent hallway. We say nothing as we walked in the direction of her study. She was a tall and imposing women, wearing a tight fitting, blue satin dress with black velvet gloves. Her brown hair streaked with gray was piled up fancily with a pin dotted with diamonds. The front of the dress was ruffled across the chest and down the front and covered in sparkling seedbeds. Her eyes were hard, cold, and unyielding.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We soon came to large, oak, double doors. The design was simple: a pattern of a full moon shining behind a bare branched tree, our school symbol. The doors swung open without her touching them, and we entered a large, round study room. Books lined every wall, and a large desk sat in the center. On the desk were many open books, stacks of parchment, inkwells, and quills. In a large window behind the desk, the full moon shone bright and silver. In front of the desk sat three wooden chairs with blue velvet cousins. My brother, Connor, and a boy I hardly knew, named Daniel Lionsheart, occupied two of the them.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Take a seat,” said Dame Senka-Cora. I did, in the end chair next to Daniel. “Now, you three won the last game, am I right?” she said, taking a seat behind the desk.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The “game” she referred to was an all school event that lasted five hours within the school building. Classrooms were off limits, as was leaving the building. If you came across another student you fought them off with your spells. Whoever lost was teleported to the outside grounds with the others. Usually only one Wizard was left standing, otherwise overtime was instructed, like it had been the most recent time. Whoever was left in overtime won.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yes, of course I’m right.” She looked down at a sheet of paper. “Connor Soulstone, level forty-nine Void Wizard, taking second in Thorn magic, has attended for four years, and has won the majority of the games.” She looked up at him. “Specializes in hunting down the students to fight them, and usually comes out victorious.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connor smirked.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again, she looked down at the paper. “Ara Soulstone, sister of Connor. Also a Void Wizard and level forty-nine, however taking second in Wind magic. Has attended for four years and plays the game by hiding and running. Has won once.” She looked up at me, her violet eyes demanding. “Complete opposites. Interesting.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Without even looking down at the paper, she turned to Daniel. “Daniel Lionsheart, a level fifty… Leaf Wizard taking second in Thorn, an odd combination. As I recall, you walk the halls during the games </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">reading a book</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The first one you come across you let defeat you. Why?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He shrugged. He had pale skin and dark, gray eyes, but brown hair, which was quite normal, unlike most here. Most people you saw had bright pink, blue, and orange, with green, black, or gold highlights, et cetera. “I don’t really think it’s worth it.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I see. Well, I do believe I have my perfect team.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our eyes widen. No one said anything until Connor piped up, “P-pardon?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You all know about the time once a year in which questing in canceled and we must all stay on school grounds? And if you disobey this rule you’re expelled?” the Headmistress asked. We all nodded. “Yes. Well, during this time is a Spiral quest called the Arcane Items. Using the first five worlds of the Spiral, two items are hidden in each, and three students from each school that wishes to participate must find them. It takes place over the course of a month, and a safe house in each world is provided for the participants. If you come across a wizard from another school you may chose to run” – she looked at me – “and hide, stay” – she looked at Connor – “and fight, or lastly watch” – she lastly turned her gaze to Daniel – “ and learn.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Pardon me Headmistress, but what happens if we don’t find the items in a month? Or we lose in a battle?” asked Daniel.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dame Senka-Cora’s bright violet eyes widen. “Why, you are expelled of course! Would you expect anything less from Moonbranch?” She laughed. “We have yet to win. I have lost some very excellent students because of this. But, as the saying goes: rules are rules and they are made to be followed.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stiffened, but said nothing. Who knew our school motto would mean so much more outside the school. “And if we win?” I choked out. My voice sounded cracked and forced.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You receive massive experience, much gold, as well unspoken bragging rights. This quest and information does not leave this room.” She glared at us each in turn. Man, did she just like… </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">enjoy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> staring at people? “You have one week to prepare. You may bring anything you wish. Special gear, spell cards, or extra wands. Anything nonlethal that is.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now where’s the fun in that?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I thought sarcastically to myself. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Cram in as much training as you need. In one week you’re on your own. Whether you like it or not.”</span></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-87372722-e726-f76f-9adf-cdeb935e3903" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outside her office, we regarded each other. Mostly Connor and me observing Daniel, and Daniel observing us.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So what’s the plan?” I finally asked.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Connor turned to me. “Plan? Every man for himself. You heard the Headmistress.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“She also said she believed this was the perfect team.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“And at the end she said we’re on our own.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But wouldn’t working as a team be easier? Easier fighting, easier searching, enough said?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m pretty sure I can handle those Ravenwood kids on my own.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ravenwood isn’t going to be the only school there! They could have wizards of higher levels. We don’t know anything, and before we find anything out, power will have to trump skill,” I snapped.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s no use. Those games we do? It’s like practice for this. It was all for this. I won those on my own.” Connor gave me a disbelieving look. “You should know that.” He turned and walked down the dark hallway. </span></div>
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</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Cardo; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After he’s gone, I turned to Daniel, who looked at me curiously. “Yeah, your plan sounds just perfect,” I sarcastically snapped. “Thanks for that opinion.” I brushed past him before he could say anything and made my way down the other side of the hallway, practically seething with anger. Stupid Connor. Stupid, stupid, stupid…</span></div>
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Oh my gosh guys, I AM SO SORRY. I haven't been, like, <i>anywhere</i> for months!! School and writing have been taking up ALL my time and I feel so bad about it -_- (Well, I say writing, but I mean writing and role playing...)<br />
<br />
I've started reading through, editing, and continuing <u>Chasing Shadows</u>, the sequel to <u>Shadow Rising</u> (remember Suri and fighting the dragon?). It's looking to be a lot of fun, so I hope to stay on top of this!! (And you're all thinking: "like <i>that's</i> going to happen...")<br />
<br />
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter one :) Chapter two is a short one, and already written, so you can expect that one soon. Chapter three is half written but will take A LOT of editing. But the action and mystery gets going pretty quickly! I mean, it's technically already started, but you catch my drift.<br />
<br />
If it's any consolation to you guys, I have been reading blogs every now and then :p I just have nothing to post!<br />
<br />
ARGH I MISSED MY BLOGVERSARY (again)!!! >_< What is it... February 28th...? Something like that. Ugh, I give up. I have missed it every single year, I don't think anything is about to change.<br />
<br />
Happy March, everyone!!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-63737075256584675922014-02-02T19:59:00.000-05:002014-02-02T19:59:59.556-05:00Hello, February (& Favorite S-B Commercials)<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, January saw a whooping two posts, let's see if February can break that record! ^_^ At the end of this post I'll also be announcing some HUGE news. So stay tuned ;)</div>
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Well, I'm now sitting in my living room working on tuning out my dad who's explaining to me how footballs works (I know how it works, I just don't really care). Okay, I'm not a sports person. <i>At all</i>. But I do watch the Super Bowl for the sole reason to see and laugh at the commercials. So, as the show continues, I will record my favorites :)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">So my big news is this:</span></h2>
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This April, I will be gone for a week when I travel to ENGLAND :O</div>
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And then, hopefully this summer, I will be gone for 2-3 weeks because I'll be in IRELAND O_O</div>
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I'll give more details soon. Meanwhile, I'm fighting a cold and am quite tired, so I'm going to bed now. The commercials this year were totally worth it.</div>
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...I wonder who's winning in football...? Haha.</div>
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~Emma</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-37583546709559186272014-01-03T20:34:00.000-05:002014-01-03T20:42:24.183-05:00Truth in a NutshellALRIGHT, so ever since I made the list of what happened in 2013, I've been dying inside to write this post. It bugged me all last night, and then most of today, so here it is: the truth in a nutshell.<br />
<br />
<br />
If you read my previous post, you can probably guess what this is about. If you didn't, that's cool too. Basically, it's my weird personal explanation as to why some bloggers terrify the fire cats out of me (or rather, used to).<br />
<br />
I started blogging in 2010. When I did, there were not <i>that</i> many bloggers (that I knew about anyway). Actually, I thank the start of this wonderful journey to Sierra Winterbreeze (for introducing me to the world of fanfiction) and Kestrel Shadowthistle (for introducing me to the world of blogging and other bloggers and this epic community). From there, all horizons seemed reachable. I discovered some awesome people. Save those two names, I'm not going to mention any direct names (they're an exception because neither of them blog anymore).<br />
<br />
My personality is very introverted, yet I have NO problem writing posts about my random adventures and crazy life. To think you guys actually read my stuff is an insane idea to me :p But I love you all anyway :D<br />
<br />
Anyway, because I'm so painfully shy with talking to other people, the bigger name bloggers whom everyone looks up to and is friends with absolutely scares the blood bats out of me. Their professionalism is extremely intimidating. I'm much more likely to leave a comment on a blog that's more like mine: rambling randomness *shrugs*<br />
<br />
For a while, my brain had this crazy notion that these intimidating bloggers weren't really other people... I would read these extremely thought out and well done posts and think, "WOW, this is awesome, I completely understand why everyone loves them." But at the same time: "Eeek, scary!"<br />
<br />
>:(<br />
<br />
But then, somehow, through some realistically impossible event, I became friends with two freaking awesome bloggers who, though have that cool professionalism, I look to as good friends and always feel proud of them.<br />
<br />
And then I joined twitter. When I first learned about twitter four to six years ago, I thought it was kinda stupid sounding... But the W101 FB community is scary in it's own, actually scary way. So I gave twitter a try. By now, I had somehow mysteriously gained more readers and met more bloggers, and I knew they were there, so I gave it a try.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Best. Decision. Of. My. Life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Besides slapping a kid when I was little. He later became my best friend in the world. That's another story :p)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
I got this peep into all those big name bloggers lives and realized that these people are just as crazy as I am. I would look between their blog and their twitter feed and be blown away. Suddenly, I became WAY less intimidated by their professionalism. Sure, I still admired it, and those I knew personally I still feel proud of, but that feeling of intimidation is GONE.<br />
<br />
In truth, this also has to do with growing older and being introduced to more of the real world. Two years ago I was painfully insecure. It took a while to learn that shyness doesn't always protect you, it can harm you. I took a leap of faith and jumped out of my shell, and I don't regret it. Chances are we're all going to be there sooner or later or again or return -- we're all human, even bloggers, obviously I'm not the only one who's gone through it.<br />
<br />
Seriously though, if you know you're in a community like the W/P101 one, we love you before we even know you, so don't waste our love!! I've come to realize that online people are just as awesome and IRL ones (minus the pedophiles).<br />
<br />
<br />
So there's my heartfelt explanation as to why I call you people <i>lovely people </i>:p<br />
<br />
Just because I don't start the conversation doesn't mean I don't care. I'm still struggling on some shyness issues (thankfully, you guys don't get to see me turn beat red and grin like an idiot every time I'm noticed or praised. I'm always way too touched beyond words XD).<br />
<br />
<br />
I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SPILLED THE BEANS.<br />
<br />
ALL OF THEM,<br />
<br />
THEY'RE SPILLED.<br />
<br />
...Ah, they look better on the floor anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
Laterz!<br />
~Emma<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S.<br />
And then <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucqgFjeuMNQ">this</a> song came on the radio.<br />
"<i>Perfect</i>," I thought ;)Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-18298639670583014982014-01-02T09:29:00.000-05:002014-01-02T10:22:32.329-05:00January 2nd Is Close EnoughHappy New Year people!! I meant to post yesterday, but I was logged out of this account, and I was too lazy to do all the weird google-sign-in stuffs and put it off... But now I'm in school and bored and thinking "Oh, same difference, let's post." So here I am!!<br />
<br />
I did stay up till midnight with my family, but it was watching <u>Pacific Rim</u>. Around 10 o'clock I made some coffee to ensure I stayed up the entire time. Afterwards, we were all in bed around 12:30 to one, and I was wired. There was <i>no way </i>I could sleep. So, I opted to watch three episodes of <u>Game of Thrones</u> season three until 2am or so. Around then I was thinking about going to sleep since no one was awake to RP or talk with. Instead, I ended up writing a little bit and generally goofing around on the internet until 5:30.<br />
<br />
:D<br />
<br />
That would be January 1st. And I had school the next day.<br />
<br />
:D<br />
<br />
I'm an idiot.<br />
<br />
:D<br />
<br />
I'm not that tired, actually. I wish I had been able to play AC4 or something, but the TV is in an extremely central part of the house, and I would've woken everyone up. So instead I thought about writing this post and then didn't write it.<br />
<br />
ANYWAY, how are all of you? I'm pretty good. I have a lot of school complications building up like a tsunami and will only end in two weeks after midterms. So seeing as I didn't have time to game (or procrastinated it) <i>before</i>, I <i>definitely</i> won't have time now :)<br />
<br />
Sorry!!<br />
<br />
In times like these, I'm very grateful/happy I'm on twitter, because then you guys know I'm not dead or anything. Just busy. This is a busy life. I woke up this morning thinking, "School is so pointless!! What am I doing with me life!?" I think mid-life-crisis's are coming around earlier O_o Or maybe I'm just overreacting.<br />
<br />
...Probably the latter.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, I want to take a second (10 minutes after I published it, wah!) to look back on 2013. Let's see what happened...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I've been at W101 for five years.</li>
<li>OH MY GOSH MY WIZVERSARY WAS YESTERDAY!!</li>
<li>Yup, it's been five years :)</li>
<li>I finished and published ALL of <u>Shadow Rising</u> :D</li>
<li>And after that planned a trilogy D:</li>
<li>Sophia held her awesomesauce contest.</li>
<li>I started, and then dropped, <u>Winterstar</u>.</li>
<li>OH, I was able to start questing on P101 :)</li>
<li>BEAT MALISTAIRE (with many thanks to Sophia and Elizabeth) :D</li>
<li>W101 came out on a mac!!</li>
<li>I reached 10k page views :3</li>
<li>While looking over my posts all of my post titles are making me laugh.</li>
<li>I met and became better friends with so many people. You are all amazing!!</li>
<li>ARGH I got my wisdom teeth pulled :(</li>
<li>Started (and failed) a podcast with Flint.</li>
<li>Hypothesized a Wizard-Pirate war.</li>
<li>I started writing a query letter and made plans for publishing. And still am!</li>
<li>I switched my sidebar to the left >:)</li>
<li>I got a twitter, and it has kept me so connected and feel less intimidated by all you bigger bloggers (haha) (I mean, you're people too. There's a really long story behind this reasoning, maybe I'll post it some day.)</li>
<li>BEAT NANOWRIMO :D</li>
<li>Started a short story.</li>
<li>Survived 2013.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Laterz!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-35603168882019603722013-12-27T22:05:00.002-05:002013-12-27T22:05:47.407-05:00"Happy Holidays" and all that......Hi!<br />
<br />
Okay, so I have a pretty legitimate excuse this time. I've been out from about 9am to 10pm every day for the past three days. And seeing as I get up around 8:30 because I like sleep (not that that's nearly enough), I haven't found much time to post :p<br />
<br />
<br />
ANYWAY, hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and if you don't celebrate Christmas, then I hope your holiday was awesome too :D<br />
<br />
A quick overview of my Christmas: I got a bunch of awesome t-shirts. My personal favorite says:<br />
<br />
<h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
NATIONAL SARCASM SOCIETY</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Like we need your support.</div>
</h2>
<br />
XD<br />
<br />
The last awesome t-shirt I got has all the Marvel superheroes on it. I'm going to have to wear that to the <u>Captain America</u> and <u>Avengers 2</u> movies :)<br />
<br />
In general I got some pretty cool stuff. Sure, we always get those few useless doohickies from family, but those useless doohickies made me laugh. I think my favorite gift was what I got with my gift cards to Best Buy.... Assassin's Creed 4!!!!! :D I got that yesterday after my family and I went to see <u>Saving Mr. Banks</u> (which is amazing!!). According the home screen, I'm 10% through. I hope to play more of it this evening XD (Sorry guys :p)<br />
<br />
Last year, my favorite gift was my samurai sword, and if I had to choose a gift this year to rival that, I think I could have to choose the Ring of Power.<br />
<br />
YES, I speak of the One Ring of Power, the Ring of Sauron, the One Ring to Rule Them All >:D<br />
<br />
Okay, obviously not <i>that</i> ring, but it is a replica :) Thankfully, I've overcome my fear that rings will get stuck on my fingers, so I've been wearing it a lot! It's so big, in fact, I wear it on my middle finger (and it's still loose).<br />
<br />
<br />
Okay, so I just let this post sit on the back burning ALL DAY, so I've FINALLY finished it at 10pm!! (Not tired at all, really.) Anyway, guess I may as well hit publish now and get this over with... I need to play my MMO's more :(<br />
<br />
I did, however, finish my power-point History project on the evolution of video games. It was a blast! My favoritest project ever XD If I can find a way to share it with you guys, I definitely will! I really love it :3<br />
<br />
<br />
Happy (belated) Holidays! May your remaining days of 2013 be snowy!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-46499916357554754902013-12-24T13:03:00.002-05:002013-12-24T13:03:51.824-05:00Christmas's EveSo my family has a tradition that we each open one present on Christmas's Eve. I don't know how it started, probably when I was 4 or 5 years old, and I couldn't wait a second longer and just <i>had</i> to open a present right then and there.<br />
<br />
This year, today actually, my dad chose to give me this particular present due to the "cold weather we've been having lately." (Everything is still covered in ice, but at least the roads are [mostly] safe now!) I was expecting a pair of boots, but instead I got a sweatshirt.<br />
<br />
Now, putting it like that may make it seem like I'm disappointed, but not at all!<br />
<br />
The sweatshirt says: <b>Careful or you'll end up in my novel.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
:D<br />
<br />
I don't have many items of clothing that have words on them, but this is by far my favorite sweatshirt right now XD (Kind of like <a href="https://www.google.com/shopping/product/2430699518748046975?es_sm=119&q=careful+or+you'll+end+up+in+my+novel+sweatshirt&spell=1&biw=1280&bih=800&prds=paur:ClkAsKraX_ZRpvQDPqYLW_87d0tulRcVubKMTyaTaQ2a_zW3ZMLvVPQ5UyfMyCpEZw9EGD-R_pgn48cYLoI8YKnHYqecoZPcqPDVi4seqQwloflaV27iFtJVeBIZAFPVH72bjh4AyK7sRZPj_fmd7gi4rxbI7A&ei=Bse5UovdLpK_sQT0hoGABA&ved=0CJcBEKYrMAE">this</a>, only picture a dark green, hoodie-sweatshirt, and the script is papyrus).<br />
<br />
In other, quicker news, I've read the most this week than I have ALL [school] year. I finally finished <u>A Game of Thrones</u> (by George R.R. Martin, though you probably knew that) (and it only took my two months), and I also finished <u>The Lost Gate</u> (by Orson Scott Card), which is a mash up ALL the ancient legends/mythology, from Norse to Greek to Egyptian (basically we've got both Bel and Thor here XD).<br />
<br />
I have also completely failed to write much this month. Oh well, what can I say? NaNo wore me out and I'm lucky to even finish my English homework XD Just kidding, but I have been getting new ideas lately :)<br />
<br />
I also haven't been on any sort of game this month save a couple hours on <i>Zelda : Skyward Sword</i> (I only died once!!).<br />
<br />
We've also had the most Christmas lights up around the house ever. We have blinking ones around the kitchen; some tinsel ones around the lamp in the old living room; the Christmas tree up stairs and old lights around a what-may-or-may-not-be-considered chandelier; and then, of course, year-round ones in my bedroom XD<br />
<br />
<br />
In other news, I was making a smoothie the other day, and you know when the blade gets to that point where it's not chopping up the frozen fruit? Well, it got to that part, so I stop it, take off the lid, and stick the spoon in to stir it up.<br />
<br />
...Well, the blade wasn't <i>quite</i> done spinning.<br />
<br />
Basically, smoothie erupted into my face.<br />
<br />
I thought it was funny, so I was laughing as I go get a washcloth. Once I clean up most of it, I go back to making my smoothie.<br />
<br />
Then my dad's comes over and was "supervising" when there's this splat.<br />
<br />
A strawberry had fallen from the ceiling. We both look up and see that the ceiling is pretty much covered in smoothie...<br />
<br />
<br />
So that's been my week (since Friday) so far :) Hopefully this streak of no-game-play will end soon and I'll also finish <u>Symphony of Storms</u> sooner or later.<br />
<br />
Happy Early/Belated Holidays!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-74198853573088287682013-12-06T08:58:00.001-05:002013-12-06T08:58:36.255-05:00Symphony of Storms (pt.1?)(A Short Story)<br />
(...Hopefully)<br />
<br />
<br />
Leisel Rainsong tapped her quill impatiently against her dark-wood desk. A paper lay in front of her, something she was consciously ignoring as her eyes gazed around the room. Above her, the ceiling was covered in a dark thunder-cloud that would give little rumbles every now and again. Even more occasionally there was a small flash of lightning that would make all the students look up. The cool atmosphere of the room helped most of the students feel calm and focused as they scribbled fiercely across the paper. All of them except Leisel.<br />
<br />
Halestorm Balestrom was not unaware of the one student in the back of the room who was not completing the test. As he stood on his desk, surveying the class, he wondered if he should just let Leisel fail the test like she had with the last one... and the one before that... as well as the one before that... and also the one before that. Professor Balestrom sighed and decided to just speak with her after class.<br />
<br />
Leisel's mind was not on the test, and it wasn't because she didn't know the information to complete the test. In truth she was a very extraordinary Storm Wizard, very good with spells and smart in duels... but as soon as it came to giving her undivided attention to a single task, her mind seemed to vanish, and she was lost in her own world.<br />
<br />
When the period ended, all the Master Diviner's stood and handed their tests to Professor Balestrom, chatting amongst themselves. Professor Balestrom tried to look over the crowd of bouncing heads, attempting to spot Leisel. However, it seemed the girl had already escaped into Ravenwood Courtyard. Once the classroom was clear, he hopped over to her desk to find her test laying there uncompleted.<br />
<br />
Almost to the tunnel to the Commons, Leisel jumped a good six inches as she felt a hand clamp over her shoulder. She spun around to see her friend, Devon Flamestrider, standing there, a mischievous smirk across his lips. His ruby red eyes gleamed with laughter as his blonde hair shone in the faint patches of light that spilled through Bartleby's branches. "Well you seem jumpy today."<br />
<br />
Leisel sighed and ran a hand through her long blue hair, brushing it away from her face, as it seemed to always fall forward. "Just a little stressed," she replied.<br />
<br />
"Fail another test?" Devon inquired.<br />
<br />
Leisel frowned, scraping the toe of her boot against the cobblestone. "No..."<br />
<br />
"That means yes."<br />
<br />
"Does not..." she argued lamely.<br />
<br />
Devon slung an arm over his friend's shoulder, walking her towards the tunnel. "I say you're in need of a stress reliever. I'll get strawberries."<br />
<br />
"I'm allergic to strawberries."<br />
<br />
"What? No, the strawberries are for me. If I eat strawberries, it increases my brain capacity, and I'll be able to think of a stress reliever for you."<br />
<br />
Leisel smirked. "That's can't be possible."<br />
<br />
"What? Why?"<br />
<br />
"If you try to increase your brain capacity, it may shutdown as it's so small. It wouldn't be able to handle it," she said cheekily.<br />
<br />
They continued to argue as they walked through the sunny Commons and into the shaded streets of the Shopping District. It was fairly busy with the Christmas season coming up. Many other Wizards were shopping, trying to bargain for the best price for gifts for their friends and family. Leisel mentally reminded herself that she needed to find gifts for people as well.<br />
<br />
"Meet you at Elik's Edge in ten minutes. I <i>am</i> starving, so I <i>am</i> going to find strawberries," Devon said.<br />
<br />
"Alright," was all Leisel replied with. Devon rolled his eyes, knowing his friend was now lost. He knew this was why she always failed tests.<br />
<br />
Leisel maneuvered around the people, making her way to the edge. Here there were fewer people, but the hustle and bustle and general noise of people still resonated behind her. Though in a crowd, Leisel was alone, and that was okay with her. Sitting down on the low stone wall, she set her pack on her legs ad rummaged around the mess of stuff before finally pulling out a flute. She looked down at the instrument. It was thin and black, very sleek, and made of a material she could not recognize. She had won it from a Ronin in MooShu several months ago, but there was something wrong with it.<br />
<br />
She could not play it.<br />
<br />
Leisel was a master at most instruments, and the flute was one of her three best pieces. She had her own, silver flute at home, which she could play just fine. However, when she brought her lips to this flute, not a sound was made.<br />
<br />
She did that now. She raised the flute with strong arms, setting it against her mouth, and attempted to blow a G. There was no sound, not even the hissing of her own breath. It was as if she were deaf to it's music, and everyone else was too.<br />
<br />
Annoyed, for some reason her inability to play the instrument infuriating her more than usual, she started playing a song, playing it as loud as she could. It was the tune one often heard floating around the Jade Palace, one she had learned by ear. Still, there was not a single note she could hear.<br />
<br />
"You called me?"<br />
<br />
Leisel jumped for the second time that day. She turned to her right where there was now someone sitting beside her. This someone looked young, perhaps twelve years if not eleven, with straight black hair reaching down to her waist and glowing amber eyes. She wore strange garb: a long robe with dark colored flowers pressed against their royal purple background with a crimson underskirt. The newcomer smiled.<br />
<br />
"Who're you?" Leisel stuttered.<br />
<br />
"My name is Nieve, the Spirit of Jade. You found my flute some time ago, and I've been waiting for you to call." Nieve stood and bowed with a flourish. To Leisel's confusion, no one around them seemed to notice her. "How can I be of service?"<br />
<br />
Confused, but deciding to just go with it, Leisel held up the flute. "Why can't I hear it when I play it?"<br />
<br />
Nieve tiled her head to the side. "It is because you do not believe in it. You take your ability for granted, and the flute will only be heard by those who believe."<br />
<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinchr4pC_EtJlVfQBGsDtfuHioZHZ5tsEI1NyTqExTujkMHwkMDhE2rJy6CArbqBMubX-UIQQaRKVTy53WNzpzk_iC2_fQhgxSa1__AoB-5u9A9vMo9OTZJZCJ-9re2lgtJqHzvA1A-ts/s640/ALRIGHTY+THEN..jpg">WELL ALRIGHTY THEN</a><br />
<br />
So this was supposed to be a short story. A SHORT story. You know that means, don't you? It means the story is SHORT.<br />
<br />
Why do I do this to myself -_-<br />
<br />
It's not short anymore!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Moving on from that, how was it? It was supposed to be my appreciation (something like that) piece for the <u>Sound of Music</u> that was broadcasted live last night (didn't get to see all of it, but what I did see was amazing!!).<br />
<br />
Here's the image that officially inspired the piece:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/1011893-bigthumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/1011893-bigthumbnail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; font-size: xx-small;"><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 32px; text-align: start; text-indent: -48px;">Flute Dragon Water</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 32px; text-align: start; text-indent: -48px;">. Digital image. </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 32px; text-align: start; text-indent: -48px;">Desktop Nexus Wallpapers</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 32px; text-align: start; text-indent: -48px;">. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 32px; text-align: start; text-indent: -48px;">.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hopefully this will stay under two parts. It's only 1,000 words (just a little over), and I want to keep it that way. I hope you guys enjoyed it! :)<br />
<br />
<br />
In other news... it rained here last night. Is still raining. And now the temperature is dropping, which means there's going to be ice everywhere. Everywhere! We're finally getting attacked by that fierce snowstorm that's been blowing across the west. I hope everyone stays safe.<br />
<br />
<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-63771943864084059052013-12-03T09:20:00.000-05:002013-12-03T09:20:27.621-05:00Some Details And A Writing/Gaming Schedule Emma strode into the conference room with a purpose. Sliding into the sleek and official-looking wheel-y chair, she slapped at a loose strand of brown hair hanging in her face before slapping the folder of papers down in front of her. She surveyed her audience -- both real and imaginative -- before flipping open the folder with a hand well practiced in the arts of magic casting and cutlass wielding.<br />
<br />
"Now," Emma started, her tone hinting that what she was about to say was of the utmost importance, "you're probably wondering why I've gathered you here today..."<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
For those of you who, you know, read my fanfictions, then this is more of a post for you. If you don't read them, well, read on anyway.<br />
<br />
So, in case you haven't noticed (which you probably have), I am horrible at actually getting any fanfiction up here. I was barely able to finish <u>Shadow Rising</u> without trashing the whole thing (of course, then it expanded into a trilogy, but enough about that). Basically, I think I need to amend some of my fanfiction projects that are starting to collect some dust.<br />
<br />
That is, make them shorter.<br />
<br />
What I think I'm going to do is this: rather than spontaneously coming up with a whole bunch of random new ideas that may or may not contradict each other, I think I'm going to just do some short stories right now.<br />
<br />
Like, SHORT short stories.<br />
<br />
(As short as I can get them anyway.)<br />
<br />
None of the ideas are going to be trashed EXCEPT for one.<br />
<br />
I feel really bad, especially after spending so much time planning it, but I think <u>Winterstar</u> needs to go. I'm just not feeling it at all. Though I do like the idea of the Wizarding Spiral and the Pirating one colliding in some weird phenomenon, I don't think the plot behind <u>Winterstar</u> would display that as much as I'd like.<br />
<br />
And I kind of stole the idea of Stormy Isidora and put her into my original novel.<br />
<br />
:)<br />
<br />
Oh well, I liked the idea while it lasted.<br />
<br />
OH, and some info concerning <u>Generation WizBot</u>... Is there anything really to say? I can't decide if I should rewrite the whole thing or just keep editing it. I like the first version, but I'm afraid I've lost it in the depths of the interwebz and google drive Q_Q It was a pretty bad first draft anyway, I wrote it three years ago, so obviously my writing is better now :p<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, here's my December schedule!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsKQMVq-gBFfQiVWkXFjJS3LHrdwLoDLLnwurN3SM9llilPwrKRIUOq4D_iy6r-EQILQq1VHBCv-WZl33OypTmfZukmSGVWZzi3rnmKtFZDv6tpUfulkXoYvKh9RN03iI2VbROVBzgvk/s1600/dec.+schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsKQMVq-gBFfQiVWkXFjJS3LHrdwLoDLLnwurN3SM9llilPwrKRIUOq4D_iy6r-EQILQq1VHBCv-WZl33OypTmfZukmSGVWZzi3rnmKtFZDv6tpUfulkXoYvKh9RN03iI2VbROVBzgvk/s400/dec.+schedule.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I did mention my novel wasn't finished, didn't I? Yes, writing is most certainly NOT over for me by any measure of distance. I have a goal to finish my novel by the end of the year (much like how I did it last year). I have an idea for the final word count of the novel, which results in writing 1500 words a day, but there is NO WAY I can do that. Not after November XD So I'm relying on those little writing bursts that will hopefully come now and again in hopes that finishes the novel for me :)<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, in other news I have the saddest excuse ever to being injured...<br />
<br />
I over extended my arm muscles playing LoZ, <i>Skyward Sword</i>.<br />
<br />
...Yeah.<br />
<br />
Walk up to your friends like, "Yeah, I hurt myself this weekend."<br />
Them: "Oh really? Aw, you poor thing, how?"<br />
Me: "Playing Wii."<br />
Them: "..."<br />
Me: "WHAT?"<br />
Them: "Go do pushups."<br />
Me: "But I'm hurt - "<br />
Them: -_-<br />
Me: "Alright, alright!"<br />
<br />
So... that's all! Have a nice December and may it snow bountifully ^_^<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-59103234104491118472013-11-30T00:30:00.000-05:002013-11-30T00:30:53.369-05:00Meh? Meh.So now I have to write posts again.<br />
<br />
After writing a bunch of action and character conflicts, this feels really weird.<br />
<br />
For me, my thoughts are along the lines of: here I am to monologue again!<br />
<br />
I mean, I did spend some time on P101 on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Like, five hours.<br />
<br />
:)<br />
<br />
And I didn't accomplish anything. Most of it was me failing to play my Buccaneer alt, Sarcastic Maeve, so in the end I switched to my Swashbuckler alt, and found that much easier to play with. I think there's a large amount of skill requirement for each class, more so than I realized.<br />
<br />
Also, my novel's not done.<br />
<br />
But I definitely need to take a break from it for now. I think I might go work on book two. I mean, it takes place at the same time as book one, so people who read them simultaneously won't really get spoilers or anything.<br />
<br />
It's book three that MUST be read third.<br />
<br />
I really can't wait for book three x3<br />
<br />
Anyway... What was I talking about?<br />
<br />
I don't remember -_-<br />
<br />
Oh right, my failure as a Buccaneer.<br />
<br />
Eh, let's move past that.<br />
<br />
I kinda feel like thanking people... I know Thanksgiving has passed (happy post-turkey day everyone!!), but I finished NaNo on that day... so I have a lot of be thankful for, and that includes people.<br />
<br />
Firstly, thanks Destiny, for being my crazy-NaNo and plot-rambling buddy :)<br />
And thank you for time differences so I wasn't alone at 1am with writer's block XD<br />
<br />
And thanks Sophia and Elizabeth, for finishing (if not this year, then years prior) and proving that this isn't impossible. Well, and thanks to Des for proving that too. Every month that NaNo rolls around I think of your guys and am like: "This is accomplishable!!"<br />
<br />
Oh, and definitely thank you prep talks (the good ones anyway).<br />
<br />
Writing in a nuthsell, as per the words of Bella Andre:<br />
<br />
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Decide to start my new book.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Do everything but start the book.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Make more big plans to start the book, for real this time.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Freak out about not starting the book.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Tell myself that tackling the non-writing items on my enormous to-do list is important, necessary work, so really, how could I start the book yet?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Tick through non-writing items on my to-do list… and get crankier by the day.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Force myself to sit down with my laptop and stare at the blank page and not get up until I’ve written at least 1,000 words.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding-left: 40px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">Finally realize (yet again!) that the number-one thing to help both my career and my peace of mind is sitting down and writing. Every single day. From one book to the next.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
For those of you who don't write, believe it.<br />
For those of you who do write, we're on the same page.<br />
<br />
AND THANK YOU FOR FRUIT SALADS!! Fruit salads are the best salads in the world, and I love them, and I ate them all the time while writing. Oh, which leads me to what I'm next thankful for: MUSIC. I would be completely insane by now without music. Enough said.<br />
<br />
Oh, and there's a couple other people I'm thankful for, but they aren't associated with this blog, so it'd be weird to mention them.... *looks around awkwardly*<br />
<br />
Anyhoo, that's what I'm thankful for in a nutshell. Want to know what I'm not thankful for? Homework. Basically I've been putting my homework off ALL WEEK, and today it kinda slapped me in the face with a brick and was all like, "Helllooooo!!?? I'm still here! :D" I told it to go away, but it wouldn't listen -_- Let's call it a hate-hate relationship. I'm also not thankful for retainers, because my teeth hurt a lot right now and I won't be able to eat breakfast in the morning. Okay, maybe I'm thankful that they keep my teeth straight, but... Let's call it a love-hate relationship :p<br />
<br />
So that's pretty much it. Not much else to update. December is almost here, and I have to survive another three weeks of school before that vacation :( Ugh, the life of a student. Tiring. I'm going to go sleep now.<br />
<br />
Night!<br />~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-89422495699690006812013-11-19T17:35:00.000-05:002013-11-19T17:35:45.153-05:00Let's Look At Where I Have Not Been...<ol>
<li>Here</li>
<li>There</li>
<li>Everywhere</li>
<li>Nowhere</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Where I have been:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Writing land</li>
<li>Twitter :p</li>
<li>Figment</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
...Yup, that's basically it :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So to make up for my lack of posting (I hope), I'll post some of my favorite [unedited] scenes for you lovely people :) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-----------</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Despite wallowing in self-pity for most of the days journey, Carter found that he still couldn't extinguish his sorrow. Not wanting to be pitied, he moved to sit on the edge of the forest away from the group, wrapping himself in cool darkness.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7130-ff37-a9e3-93853a5a42f8"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7130-ff37-a9e3-93853a5a42f8"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As he did, the tree tops illuminated only by the pale moon, he looked up at the mountains, their goal. Their sides shot straight up to the heavens, black rock slicing down the white surface here and there. The tips came to unimaginably sharp points that seemed to want to cut the night's skin in half like fabric, spilling the stars on the world below. </span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7130-ff37-a9e3-93853a5a42f8">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These mountains stood between Irunda and Mievren; between a tyrant country and a country filled with slaves; between the group of rebels and hoard of people wishing for freedom.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>- end of chapter 1</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; white-space: normal;">-----------</span></span></div>
</span></div>
<br />
<div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7135-a25f-7053-501913f242f8"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7135-a25f-7053-501913f242f8"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just having her there, Carter felt better. He felt his breathing slowing to a more normal pace. He went to brush his hair back from his face, but stopped short. He looked down to see his hand was entwined with Mari’s. Stupidly, he stared at it.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7135-a25f-7053-501913f242f8">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mari raised an eyebrow, then looked down. Almost simultaneously, they both blushed. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I, uh...” Carter started.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“This was...” Mari stuttered. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“How did...”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Um, you...”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Like...?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Last night...”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Oh...”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Um, yeah...”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“O-ok.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The two friends looked around -- looked at anything really save each other -- before awkwardly detaching their hands. Neither’s blush ceased, unfortunately, and an equally awkward silence befell them. Carter looked forward and around the camp, trying not to meet Mari’s eyes, while Mari looked around the woods and down at her lap, trying not to meet Carter’s eyes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>- somewhere in the middle</b></span></span></div>
</span></div>
<div>
-----------</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7136-67d0-a149-0da02fe0764c"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7136-67d0-a149-0da02fe0764c"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ricky scratched his head tiredly as he mounted his horse, making sure her hooves were covered in some strange and cool anti - cold thing that allowed her to tromp through snow like no one’s business. Rubbing his eyes, he chewed on some dried meat and wished he had a sandwich instead. A turkey and mustard one, with layers of lettuce and beef tartar in between, maybe even a dash of salt and pepper. His mouth watered at the thought of it, the dried meat turning to sawdust in his mouth.</span></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-267e8df7-7136-67d0-a149-0da02fe0764c">
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Itching his cheek at the thought, he continued to envision other delicious foods he would have to wait for. Clam chowder with its slight tastelessness made better by the side of shrimp covered in spicy sauce with a side of fruit salad. Oh, a mass of blueberries, strawberries, and avocado on top of fresh lettuce with thin slices of apples, and shredded asiago cheese sprinkled over the top with a few drops of red wine for flavor. And then beside the soup and the salad would be the world’s freshest baked bread, so fresh it would dent if you handled it too roughly. It’s crust light brown and its inside so white and fluffy Ricky could fall asleep right on top of it. He would take his silver knife and spread a thick layer of a virgin maid’s butter over it, and he would sink his teeth into it, and then he would marry that maid. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And at their marriage ceremony, there would be a huge roast pig with an apple in its mouth, its hide sparkling from being cooked so perfectly, parsley and basil scattered across its back and more of his new wife’s butter dripping down it’s side. It would fill the hall with its rich scent of what was to come. And Ricky would stand behind it, his new wife at his side, and he would carve that pig so everyone could taste how magnificent it was.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ricky!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ricky jolted from his reverie, brought sorrowfully back to the cold waste lands of the snowy mountains, to see Ila trotting up towards him. She smiled sheepishly, handing him a red apple. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It’s the last fresh one, no one else was particularly interested, and someone should probably eat it before it goes bad.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ricky beamed, probably looking like an idiot, and gratefully took the apple, sinking his teeth into its crisp flesh, chewing slowly, savoring its sweetness. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marry me please!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> he thought, and would’ve said it had his mouth not been full. Before he could say it aloud though, Ila moved on.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>- just wrote this yesterday</b></span></div>
</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
-----------</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I would like to give a shout out to Destiny, who was able to inspire me to write that last scene last night and reach my 30k word goal for the day :D So thank you!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Truthfully, this book has a ridiculously dark and heavy atmosphere most of the time, only made better by the scenes above. No worries, it all turns out good in the end :) I'm fairly bent on finishing it now, as I have written 30,000 words of it haha, might as well finish it now!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have to say, I'm really enjoying the NaNoWriMo prep talks, they make me feel preppy XD My favorite line from the one today, by Lev Grossman, was: </div>
<h2>
"Forget that stuff about the odds being in your favor. What does that even mean? Screw the odds. There are no odds. You're the writer, and writers make their own odds."</h2>
<div>
(WOOT FOR <u>CATCHING FIRE</u> COMING OUT ON FIRDAY!! :D XD)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm a writer. I'm doing NaNo. I'm crazy. <i>There are no odds.</i> LOL so here I go, plunging perfectly in ultimate chaos where my paragraphs will seem more and more like the first sentence of that third excerpt (which was brilliant, was it not? XD). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Whatever. It's a first draft :D</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Back to writing!!</div>
<div>
~Emma</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S.</div>
<div>
It seems I've been listening to a ton of Pentatonix while I write, and if you don't know who that is, you have got to check them out XD</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3MteSlpxCpo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
^ Feat. Lindsey Stirling (aka epic violinist) ^</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7YAcMgoSpDE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-55009543862009881122013-11-08T14:25:00.001-05:002013-11-08T14:25:34.980-05:00Neglected... with good reason!!<div>
UPDATES: </div>
<ul>
<li>As of right now, 12,220 is my word count. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I have a forensics meet after school (dramatic monologue)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>It's friday ^_^</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Blogging has been neglected.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
:(</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sorry guys.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have NOTHING to update.... at all.... it's sad.... I haven't been on any games.... haven't been writing fanfics.... NaNo's been taking up all my time (as many others know). But I am making good time on that!!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Guess this is more of a "I'm not dead!" post :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Laterz!<br />~Emma</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-54626176394591647462013-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:002013-10-31T10:00:10.657-04:00H a p p y _ H a l l o w e e n*evil laughs echo from behind you*<br />
<br />
So usually I post up this poem that's SUPER CREEPY called <u>One Last Time</u>, but this year I have a new one for you :) Still creepy, but it's something different. (<a href="http://emmadawnrider.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-halloween.html">This</a> is the original poem.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>The Carnival</u></div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
The first thing you hear. </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Do you hear the bells?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Shh, listen to them.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Jingling</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Tinkling</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Ringing</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
It's the sound of happiness.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
<em>Your</em> happiness.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Come.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Bring friends.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Smile.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Jump.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Dance.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Eat.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Become hypnotized by the colors.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
By the smells.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
By the lights.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
By the sounds. </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Come.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
See that man?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
The one in the top hat</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
swinging a cane</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
with a serpent on its</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
head.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Go over to him.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Step right up, don't be shy.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Lose yourself in the spinning.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Swirling.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Dizzying.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Enchanting.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Mind boggling.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Soul consuming.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Do you hear the bells?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
The drums?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
The horns playing short, repetitive tunes? </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Listen.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Stop for a moment</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and look</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
up at the sky</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and sigh</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
at the stars</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and the clouds,</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
then wonder</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
if this one day </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
out of the other</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
three hundred</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
sixty</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
five</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
is any more special.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Closer your eyes.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
You know the answer:</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
<em>It is.</em></div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Step along the dirt</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and the sand,</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
but mind the grass.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
On to the next ride.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
This one goes upside down. </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Hang on tight, you might</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
fall</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
out. </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Which one is next?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
So many choices.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Make sure you don't</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
lose</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
your</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
way.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
A haunted house of mirrors.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Choice choices choices.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Is that your reflection?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
No, it's a funny mask</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
with big eyes</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and red lips</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
painted on sweating cheeks.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
A big red nose makes you smile,</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
and green hair wafts the smell of hair spray.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Giggle.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Laugh.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Chuckle.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Grin.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Come, little child, have you lost your way?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
It's nearly past midnight.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Where is mother? Where is father?</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Here, I will show you the way out.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
I will take away the tears</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
that have yet</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
to come.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Ringing.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Tinkling.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Jingling.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Shh, listen to them.</div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
Do you hear the bells? </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">
It's the last thing you'll hear. </div>
<div style="font-family: BergamoStdRegular, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjp3Da4Uk8RfFKzGmJ6P-FfsEVRFaG-8BS3UmgrVIIn7_SHsgca2gOb7m52g92RXWbrJnk_Xo1k6SLkfwSuTcuHu4qyRZ3ikaVFNiRQqLdutJCyUgNaUAyoHvCbglCyMyBxQrHfcI1_I/s1600/just+emma+halloween+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjp3Da4Uk8RfFKzGmJ6P-FfsEVRFaG-8BS3UmgrVIIn7_SHsgca2gOb7m52g92RXWbrJnk_Xo1k6SLkfwSuTcuHu4qyRZ3ikaVFNiRQqLdutJCyUgNaUAyoHvCbglCyMyBxQrHfcI1_I/s400/just+emma+halloween+header.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Also: <i>November Calendar</i>.<br />
<br />
Obviously it's not November, BUT... I mean, isn't my schedule for that month going to be fairly predictable??<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW6OiMt6SpOHscWm2uATPHauL8mIue37cMh6H-YLOZ9Dmlrsuu6Swtzpk9ErrxUNnHRCHFXS8JJfpcAoYsTfpAYG7wLeTX8JVP3D28wqIUC0DpoZyGtKkgpaA8O0cKgdAupNUpZyEqRE/s1600/november+schedule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW6OiMt6SpOHscWm2uATPHauL8mIue37cMh6H-YLOZ9Dmlrsuu6Swtzpk9ErrxUNnHRCHFXS8JJfpcAoYsTfpAYG7wLeTX8JVP3D28wqIUC0DpoZyGtKkgpaA8O0cKgdAupNUpZyEqRE/s400/november+schedule.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
XD<br />
Happy Halloween!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-85179177435636141012013-10-25T20:00:00.002-04:002013-10-25T20:00:52.587-04:00Halloween Background!!:D<br />
<br />
Pretty, yeah? Simple photo-editing alteration, I'm getting fairly good at it. It's still Des's gorgeous background, but now the temporary cobwebs and stuff like... halloween-y :)<br />
<br />
Concerning Halloween, I'll hopefully be on W101 tonight and maybe some tomorrow and doing those <i>never ending</i> quests. But they are fun! Maybe I'll be doing them with Madeline (my Myth alt)...<br />
<br />
ANYWAY, more updates. What's this? A new world?<br />
<br />
<br />
A<br />
...<br />
New<br />
...<br />
World<br />
...?<br />
<br />
BRILLIANT.<br />
<br />
YOU'RE ANOTHER WORLD BEHIND NOW, EMMA, GREAT RIGHT?<br />
<br />
-_-<br />
<br />
No.<br />
Just...<br />
No.<br />
<br />
Ok, maybe it's kinda my fault that I've been questing my way around Azeroth and parallel dimensions, but STILL.<br />
<br />
*mind blown look*<br />
<br />
Khrysalis and Shadow Magic.<br />
<br />
SHADOW MAGIC.<br />
<br />
I HAD THAT FIRST :p I CALL COPYRIGHTS!!<br />
<br />
<u>School of Shadow</u> people? Yeah? You have <i>got</i> to be <i>kidding</i> me >_<<br />
<br />
:p<br />
<br />
:p :p<br />
<br />
:p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p<br />
<br />
Ok, maybe this is what happens when you don't continue the story and KI's like, "Oh, it's over now, our turn!" Or maybe even, "Brilliant new idea!" Yeah, they probably came up with it on their own... but still... I <i>did</i> have it first :p<br />
<br />
I'm looking forward to the posts and posts and waterfall of posts about this new world and Shadow Magic so I can read all about it (mostly about the magic *tentative look*).<br />
<br />
Laterz!<br />~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-6574136766404710662013-10-19T21:34:00.000-04:002013-10-19T21:34:59.975-04:00A PostA post?<br />
A post!<br />
<br />
"Look everyone, a post!"<br />
<br />
Wait, wait a sec -<br />
<br />
"Whoa! Such a rare sight."<br />
"Look closely, it might vanish before your eyes."<br />
"How sad."<br />
<br />
Hold up, that's not -<br />
<br />
"Wish it appeared more often."<br />
"Yeah!"<br />
<br />
I can explain -<br />
<br />
"Your reasons are all lies!"<br />
<br />
Ok, that's hardly fair.<br />
<br />
"That <i>was</i> a bit harsh..."<br />
<br />
Thank you.<br />
<br />
<br />
PEOPLE. INTERNET. HELLO!<br />
<br />
<br />
Life: "Don't forget about me..."<br />
<br />
*shoves Life out of frame*<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm launching a project! It's called Once-A-Week. Basically, I post once a week (asking a lot, I know :p), and update one fanfic a week (again, a lot to ask), and complete one chapter from an original work of mine a week (ok, that's WAY too much to ask).<br />
<br />
As for the podcast? Don't worry! It's coming! Both Flint and I have a lot in our lives right now; between school, sickness, and other friends harassing us (or, rather, me) about other books, finding time is a bit difficult. But we WILL get our episode two up this month :)<br />
<br />
Concerning the fanfic... I think I'm going to work on rewriting <u>Generation WizBot</u>. NOT because I'm abandoning <u>Chasing Shadow's</u>, but because I've got this MAJOR writer's block. You know what I call it?<br />
<br />
<br />
Life: "It's called you have history homework due on Tuesday."<br />
<br />
Shut up, Life!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyway, though CS is still my main fanfic, I will currently work on rewriting GWB.<br />
<br />
And plan my NaNo novel (which has changed...)<br />
And read my other friends's novel.<br />
And edit.<br />
And write my other original novel.<br />
And blog.<br />
<br />
And do homework and stay healthy and get enough sleep and pass tests and play video games and talk with friends and plan my life and eat food and breathe oxygen and break my procrastination habit and practice music and roleplay.<br />
<br />
*deep breath*<br />
<br />
Wayyyy too many 'and's in there... No worries, I got this down!<br />
*triumphant thumbs up*<br />
<br />
<br />
Life: "You're asking too much."<br />
<br />
*rev's up chainsaw*<br />
<br />
Life: "I take it back! You can do it!"<br />
<br />
<br />
So, basically, between the 20th and the 26th, except a blog post and a GWB chapter! Given, the chapter might not be very long -_- Oh well, I can only demand so much of myself.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0fpb8AOlIlmeWbu-eNIT_pFl1ti34P1k18XtG8Wt0crTVDsVhiMxU2jFw-4v2brb7IRz8G1aujcXz908SUR1OAtVNtoMAeuSqh3ddxS5qgJep_I9x11m6Hoxr8O6PgRM-aNj14KUQso/s1600/Scary+Emma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0fpb8AOlIlmeWbu-eNIT_pFl1ti34P1k18XtG8Wt0crTVDsVhiMxU2jFw-4v2brb7IRz8G1aujcXz908SUR1OAtVNtoMAeuSqh3ddxS5qgJep_I9x11m6Hoxr8O6PgRM-aNj14KUQso/s400/Scary+Emma.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Happy pre-Halloween!!<br />
~EmmaJust Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5634097099355974499.post-90472329991292388652013-10-09T19:56:00.000-04:002013-10-09T19:56:03.138-04:00My Writing List of To-Do's<ol>
<li>Plan my NaNo novel</li>
<li>Edit my finished novel</li>
<li>Write collaborate novel #1</li>
<li>Write collaborative novel #2</li>
<li>Write <u>Chasing Shadows</u></li>
<li>Edit <u>Generation WizBot</u></li>
<li>Plan collaborative novel #3</li>
<li>Write collaborative novel #3</li>
<li>Write blog posts</li>
<li>Read friend #1's novel IP</li>
<li>Read/edit friend #2's novel IP</li>
<li>Read/edit friend #2's second novel IP</li>
<li>Read (edit some) Sophia EB's novel</li>
<li>Scribble during math class</li>
<li>Scribble during english class</li>
<li>NANOWRIMO<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></li>
<li>Drink coffee</li>
<li>Stay sane...</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
~Emma</div>
Just Emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14140472250217693291noreply@blogger.com3